Southwest flight drops 152m in evasive action, injuring 2 crew members

Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 (not pictured) reached an altitude of 4298m. It then dove to 4153m in a 33-second manoeuvre. Photo / Washington Post

A Southwest Airlines flight headed to Las Vegas abruptly dropped 152m mid-air soon after take-off from a Los Angeles-area airport, as on-board alerts warned pilots that another plane was nearby, according to federal authorities and the airline.

Six minutes after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport, Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 reached an altitude of 4298m. It then dove to 4153m in a 33-second manoeuvre, according to data from Flightradar24. The plane climbed to 4336m over the next 26 seconds.

People flew out of their seats and hit their heads on the ceiling, according to Jimmy Dore, a stand-up comedian who said he was on the plane. Two flight attendants were injured.

The flight landed in Las Vegas without further incident, according to Southwest, which said in a statement that the plane was responding to two on-board traffic alerts. The airline said it was engaging with federal authorities “to further understand the circumstances”.

No passengers immediately reported injuries, it added.

The airline could not be reached for additional comment late on Friday (local time).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the Southwest Airlines flight was responding to “an on-board alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity”. The agency is investigating the event and said its initial findings were “preliminary and subject to change”.

At the time of the event, a Cold War-era military aircraft was headed to Point Mugu Naval Air Station, according to Flightradar24. The Hawker Hunter MK58 was about 6km away from the Southwest plane, and 122m above it, before Southwest Flight 1496 dropped 152m.

The Washington Post could not immediately verify whether this plane was what led the Southwest flight to take evasive action.

The episode comes after a passenger jet landing in North Dakota performed a “go-around” to avoid colliding with an Air Force B-52 last week.

In March, a Delta flight departing Reagan National Airport near DC was diverted to avoid a potential collision with a group of Air Force jets.

In January, an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet collided near National Airport, killing 67 people.