FAA Looks into Near-Miss as Southwest Flight Dives to Avoid Fighter Jet Over California
A Southwest airplane injured two crew members when it had to make an emergency descent to avoid colliding with a vintage fighter plane.
After a Southwest Airlines flight abruptly dipped short after departure from Hollywood Burbank Airport on Friday in a stunning mid-air maneuver to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened an inquiry.
According to reports, passengers were lifted from their seats and two flight attendants were hurt as Flight 1496, which was headed for Las Vegas, suddenly fell within minutes of takeoff. The airline subsequently acknowledged that the aircraft’s abrupt ascent and descent was caused by two onboard traffic collision avoidance signals.
According to Southwest Airlines, “Our crew had to climb and descend in order to comply with two onboard traffic alerts.” After a safe landing in Las Vegas, emergency medical professionals greeted the aircraft. “We value the professionalism with which our flight attendants and crew handled this incident. Southwest places the safety of its customers and employees above all else, the statement continued.
A CNN story that used flight tracking data claimed that a privately owned Hawker Hunter fighter jet passed less than two miles ahead of the Boeing 737 and within a few hundred feet of its altitude, putting the aircraft in risk. It was stated that the vintage military aircraft had left El Paso, Texas, and was headed to Oxnard, California.
The harrowing experience was described by the passengers. Onboard stand-up comedian Jimmy Dore wrote on X: “The pilot reported that his collision warning went off and that he had to avoid the plane that was approaching us.” Wow. Medical assistance was required for a flight attendant.
When the plane touched down, the cabin burst into cheers, according to fellow traveler Stef Zamorano.
“It was terrifying,” another traveler, Caitlin Burdi, told Fox News. We genuinely believed that we were about to smash into the sky. After the incident, the pilot reportedly told the passengers, “We nearly collided with another plane, and I had to make the emergency attempt to go under because we lost service with the air traffic controller,” she continued.
The FAA reaffirmed its dedication to safety, saying, “Ensuring the safety of everyone in the national airspace system remains our top priority,” while confirming that it is looking into the “incident.”
The near-miss adds to mounting concerns about close encounters in U.S. airspace, as another plane, a Delta regional flight, had to execute an abrupt evasive maneuver to avoid a U.S. military bomber near Minneapolis just days prior.
