A Southwest Airlines flight en route from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Las Vegas was forced to make a sudden 500-foot descent shortly after takeoff on Friday, narrowly avoiding a potential midair collision with another aircraft. The incident, which occurred just six minutes into the flight, is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Flight 1496 had just departed Burbank and was climbing steadily when an onboard alert notified pilots of another aircraft in dangerously close proximity. In response, the pilots immediately executed an evasive maneuver, dropping the Boeing 737 from 14,100 feet to 13,600 feet in a matter of seconds to comply with a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) warning.
“Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace,” the FAA said in a statement released Friday. The agency added that a formal investigation is underway but did not provide further details as of Saturday.
Live tracking data from aviation monitoring service Flightradar24 confirmed the abrupt altitude drop, noting that the Boeing jet was ascending normally before quickly dipping mid-climb. At the same time, a decommissioned Hawker Hunter Mk.58 fighter jet was flying through the same airspace en route to Point Mugu Naval Air Station in Ventura County, California. It remains unclear how close the two aircraft came to each other, but aviation experts say the quick action by the Southwest pilots likely averted a serious collision.
No passengers were injured in the incident, according to Southwest Airlines. However, two flight attendants were hurt during the dive—one sustained minor injuries and received on-site treatment, while the other was transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure after landing.
Despite the dramatic midair event, the flight continued to Las Vegas without further incident and landed safely. “The aircraft landed uneventfully, and our focus remains on the well-being of our crew and customers,” Southwest said in a statement.
Southwest Flight Takes Dramatic Plunge to Avoid Midair Collision, Sparks Safety Concerns
One of the passengers on board, comedian Jimmy Dore, shared his harrowing experience on social media. “Myself & plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on the ceiling,” Dore wrote. “Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid a plane coming at us. Wow.”
The incident has raised new concerns about U.S. air traffic safety, particularly given recent reports of staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and mounting pressure on the FAA to improve oversight. Earlier this year, a tragic midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over the Washington, D.C. region claimed 67 lives and brought renewed scrutiny to the aviation regulator.
That crash exposed longstanding vulnerabilities in the system, including outdated radar technology, communication gaps, and a shortage of qualified air traffic controllers. Critics say the situation has been worsened by past budget cuts and hiring freezes, including measures taken during the Trump administration, which saw hundreds of FAA positions eliminated in a broad effort to downsize the federal workforce.
However, the FAA has insisted that none of the cuts impacted safety-critical roles. “Safety-critical positions have and will continue to be exempt from any hiring freezes or deferred resignation programs,” FAA spokesperson Steve Kulm said in response to growing public concern.
Kulm also emphasized that the agency has ramped up its hiring and training programs to bolster the workforce, particularly in areas related to air traffic control and aviation safety. “In addition to retaining these employees, the FAA has actually expanded hiring and onboarding for air traffic controllers and safety professionals – including safety inspectors, mechanics, and others who support them,” he noted.
Still, Friday’s near-miss is the latest in a string of close calls that has alarmed both industry experts and the flying public. With U.S. airspace becoming increasingly congested, especially around major metropolitan areas, the need for modernized safety systems and fully staffed control centers is more urgent than ever.
Aviation safety analysts have called for the FAA to expedite technology upgrades and ensure that air traffic personnel are properly trained and supported. “This incident was a close call, and it’s a reminder that even with our advanced systems, human oversight and quick decision-making remain crucial,” said former commercial pilot and aviation consultant Robert Taylor.
As the FAA continues its investigation into the Southwest Flight 1496 incident, passengers are left grappling with the unsettling reality that such events—while rare—can happen with little warning. For now, it appears that a fast-thinking flight crew and functioning warning systems prevented what could have been a major aviation tragedy.
Source- NPR
