A Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank, California, to Las Vegas experienced a harrowing incident shortly after takeoff on Friday, resulting in injuries to two flight attendants. As Southwest flight 1496 was climbing to cruising altitude, it unexpectedly got two simultaneous warnings. The crew in short order realized that immediate evasive action was necessary to avoid a potential mid-air collision.
The fleet’s most dramatic plunge came just ten minutes into that fateful flight, when the crew received an early warning of collision from their aircraft’s automation. Following protocol, they executed a rapid descent. One passenger, Caitlin Burdi, recalled the harrowing experience as being similar to the amusement park ride “Tower of Terror.”
“About 10 minutes into the flight, we plummeted pretty far, and I looked around, and everyone was like, ‘OK, that’s normal,’” – Caitlin Burdi.
Eyewitnesses said that the drop accelerated them about 20 to 30 feet in just two seconds. That violent, unexpected turn sent furniture and debris hurtling through the cabin, leaving dozens of passengers—including many ejected from their seats—injured.
“Myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling; a flight attendant needed medical attention,” – Jimmy Dore.
The second aircraft was a Hawker Hunter jet fighter registered to a private defense contractor. Thanks to the crew’s quick response, the flight managed to continue its journey to Las Vegas and landed “uneventfully” despite the earlier turbulence.
Southwest Airlines is working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine what led to this unfortunate and concerning occurrence.
“Pilot said his collision warning went off and he needed to avoid plane coming at us,” – Jimmy Dore.
The two crew injured in the accident continue to receive medical treatment, but no medical condition has been released on them. As the investigation continues, Southwest Airlines wants to learn as much as possible to ensure that something like this never happens again.