Southwest Flight Dives 500 Feet to Avoid Mid-Air Collision Near Burbank

Southwest Flight Incident

• ✈️ A Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank to Las Vegas executed a sudden 500-foot dive shortly after takeoff to avoid a mid-air collision with another aircraft.
• ⚠️ Passengers described the maneuver as terrifying, with some fearing a plane crash, and two flight attendants sustained injuries during the incident.
• 📊 Flight data indicates the plane dropped approximately 300 feet in 26 seconds, causing some passengers to be thrown from their seats.

Air Traffic Control Concerns

• 📻 The pilot informed passengers that they had lost air traffic control, contributing to the near-miss situation.
• 🔍 Southwest Airlines is cooperating with the FAA to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Broader Air Safety Context

• 🚨 This event follows another near-miss incident just a week prior, where a pilot had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with a B-52 bomber over North Dakota.
• 📈 These back-to-back incidents have heightened concerns about air safety and the reliability of air traffic control systems.
• 💰 The FAA has received $12.5 billion for modernizing the air traffic control system, as announced by Transportation Secretary Shawn Duffy.
• 🔎 The FAA is actively investigating both the California and North Dakota incidents.