Overview

• Southwest Airlines flight 1496 departing Burbank suddenly climbed and plunged after two TCAS traffic alerts to avoid a Hawker Hunter Mk 58 jet, then landed safely in Las Vegas.
• Two crew members on the Southwest flight sustained injuries and passengers were thrown against the cabin ceiling during the abrupt altitude changes.
• An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Denver International Airport suffered a tire maintenance failure that ignited a fire during its takeoff roll, prompting an emergency slide evacuation.
• All 173 passengers and six crew on the Denver flight evacuated safely via toboggans, with one person treated for minor injuries at a hospital.
• The FAA has opened probes into both incidents to examine collision-avoidance system performance and potential landing gear malfunctions and expects preliminary findings in the coming weeks.