Southwest Flight Avoids Midair Collision with Fighter Jet Near Burbank

Near Miss Incident

• ✈️ A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Las Vegas, Flight 1496, experienced a near-collision shortly after departing Hollywood Burbank Airport.
• ⚠️ The pilots received alerts from the onboard collision avoidance system, prompting immediate evasive maneuvers.
• 💥 The incident involved a potential collision with a 66-year-old former Swiss Air Force fighter jet descending at over 500 mph.

Passenger and Crew Reactions

• 😱 Passengers described a "big freefall feeling" for 8-10 seconds, with some screaming and describing the experience as "chaos."
• 🎢 The maneuver felt like being on a "freefall roller coaster" as the Boeing 737 rapidly descended and ascended.
• 🩹 Two flight attendants were treated for injuries, and at least one passenger was taken to a local hospital.

Evasive Maneuvers and Technology

• 📉 Preliminary flight data shows the airliner climbed, then rapidly descended about 475 ft before climbing about 600 ft within two minutes.
• 📏 The planes were estimated to be about 400 ft vertically and 5 miles horizontally apart when the alarm sounded.
• 🛰️ The TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) is credited with allowing pilots to react and avoid a potential conflict.
• 🛩️ The fighter jet continued to Point Mugu Naval Air Station without incident.

FAA Investigation

• 🔍 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.
• 🚨 This event follows another close call investigated by the FAA over North Dakota involving a B-52 bomber and a Delta Connection regional jet.