Southwest Airlines Jet Plane – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by QualityHD
A Southwest Airlines aircraft went down to a height of 150 feet (45 meters) over water while it was still approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from its planned landing location at the airport in Tampa, Florida. This incident is being looked into by federal investigators.
The pilots chose to land in Fort Lauderdale, which is 200 miles (320 kilometers) away, rather than at the Tampa airport.
The trip on July 14 came after a similar incident that happened in Oklahoma City last month, when a Southwest aircraft flew extremely low when it was still far from the airport.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration declared that it was looking into the event.
Flightradar24 reports that Southwest flight 425, which departed from Columbus, Ohio, descended to its lowest position when passing over Old Tampa Bay close to the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The flight-tracking service reported that three prior Southwest flights to Tampa passed the same location at an altitude of roughly 1,225 feet (375 meters).
In a statement, the airline stated that “on July 14, Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after the crew canceled their planned approach into Tampa International Airport.”
Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, stated that it is speaking with the FAA “to understand and address any irregularities.” The security of our clients and staff is our first priority at Southwest.
A Southwest Airlines flight on June 18 that resulted in a low-altitude alert at approximately 525 feet (160 meters) above the earth and 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the Oklahoma City airport is still under investigation by the FAA. After receiving an automated alert in the control tower, an air traffic controller got in touch with that crew. The aircraft performed a “go-around” around the airport before landing without incident.
A Southwest Airlines jet in April took a sharp turn off the coast of Hawaii, approaching the water by just 400 feet (120 meters) before starting to ascend. Additionally, a Southwest aircraft that performed an odd “Dutch roll” and had damage to its tail found following a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California is being looked into by the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane was outside during a strong storm, according to investigators.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
