LOS ANGELES: A Southwest Airlines flight made a sudden mid-air dive on Friday to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft while en route to Las Vegas, leaving two flight attendants injured. Passengers reported being thrown from their seats during the abrupt maneuver.
Minutes after takeoff from Burbank, California, the flight dropped several hundred feet, according to flight tracking data. American comedian Jimmy Dore posted on X that he and others “flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling” as the plane “aggressively” descended.
The pilot of Southwest Flight 1496 informed passengers that the evasive action was necessary to prevent a collision. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed it is “investigating the incident.”
Southwest Airlines stated its crew “responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon... requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.” The flight proceeded to Las Vegas and landed without further issues. The airline confirmed no passengers were injured, but two flight attendants required medical treatment.
Flight tracking website FlightAware indicated the Southwest flight shared airspace near Burbank with a privately owned Hawker Hunter Mk 58 fighter jet.
This incident adds to growing concerns over US aviation safety following recent accidents and near-misses. In January, a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., killed 67 people. In May, the Trump administration proposed reforms to the outdated air traffic control system, which faces staffing shortages due to FAA layoffs. - AFP
