A Southwest Airline jet heading to Las Vegas from Southern California experienced a dramatic plunge shortly after takeoff in response to an alert about a nearby plane, resulting in injuries to two flight attendants, authorities, and passengers.
Southwest flight 1496 was reacting to an onboard alert regarding another aircraft in its vicinity, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is currently investigating the incident.
The flight crew had to respond to two air alerts that necessitated the pilot to climb and then descend. Departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport just before noon, the incident alarmed passengers, with reports on social media stating that the plane took a sudden drop soon after takeoff.
Data from FlightAware, a flight tracking site, indicates that the aircraft dropped approximately 300 feet (91.44 meters) in just 36 seconds.
Comedian Jimmy Dore shared on social media that the pilot mentioned a collision warning and the need to avoid an oncoming plane. Coincidentally, the plane was in the same airspace near Burbank as a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter plane owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation Ltd, a British defense contracting company.
Despite conflicting reports from the control tower and operations department at Hollywood Burbank, Southwest flight 1496 proceeded to Las Vegas where it landed without further incident. The airline is currently cooperating with the FAA to fully comprehend the circumstances of the event.
This troubling incident underscores ongoing concerns about aviation safety, particularly following the tragic midair collision over Washington, D.C., earlier this year that claimed 67 lives.
