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9h ago

Southwest Flight 1496 Makes Emergency Descent Following Collision Alerts

The FAA is investigating after the crew followed two TCAS alerts that forced a 475-foot descent, injuring two flight attendants.

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BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 25: A Southwest Airlines take off past the control tower at Burbank Hollywood Airport on September 25, 2023 in Burbank, California. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is warning that vital training for new air traffic controllers would be paused if the government shuts down later this week. The Department of Transportation currently has 2,600 much needed air traffic controllers undergoing training and employs 1,200 fewer certified controllers than that agency did 10 years ago. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Southwest Flight 1496 took off from Hollywood Burbank Airport on July 25 and then climbed and plunged about 475 feet in under 35 seconds in response to two onboard traffic alerts.
  • Two flight attendants were hurt during the rapid descent and received medical treatment after the Boeing 737 landed safely in Las Vegas; no passengers were injured.
  • Flightradar24 data show the jet dropped from 14,100 to 13,625 feet in a 33-second maneuver before climbing back to cruising altitude.
  • Pilots executed the evasive move to avoid a Hawker Hunter jet operating in the same Los Angeles ARTCC sector.
  • The FAA has opened a formal investigation into the near-miss as Southwest cooperates under intensified federal scrutiny following a series of recent safety incidents.