Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Southwest Flight 1496 Makes Emergency Dive to Avoid Mid-Air Collision

Triggered by two TCAS alerts, the passenger jet’s 475-foot dive injured two flight attendants, prompting an FAA probe.

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)
Image
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s are lined up at the terminal at San Diego International Airport on August 24, 2024.
Image

Overview

  • Six minutes after takeoff from Hollywood Burbank, the crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two TCAS alerts by performing rapid climb-and-descent maneuvers.
  • FlightRadar24 data shows the Boeing 737 plunged from 14,100 to 13,625 feet to evade a Hawker Hunter jet at approximately 14,653 feet.
  • Two flight attendants were injured during the abrupt descent and treated upon arrival in Las Vegas, with no passenger injuries reported.
  • The flight continued its route and landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport without further incident.
  • This close call intensifies federal scrutiny after an FAA audit was launched on July 22 to examine Southwest’s safety procedures following multiple recent incidents.