Southwest Flight 1496’s Sudden Drop After Midair Collision Warning
Avery Sinclair here and oh, this should be good.
A Southwest Airlines jet departing Burbank, California, on July 25 turned a routine hop to Las Vegas into a heart-in-mouth moment when its traffic collision avoidance system lit up, prompting a rapid climb-and-descend maneuver. Minutes after takeoff, the crew received an alert that another aircraft was in dangerously close proximity over Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace, forcing the Boeing 737 to perform an aggressive dive and climb sequence to steer clear.
Steve Ulasewicz, one of the passengers on Flight 1496, told NBC Los Angeles that the drop felt like a freefall. “The plane was just in freefall,” he said. “People were screaming. It was pandemonium.” According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the onboard system detected a potential midair collision at around 11 a.m. local time, triggering automated avoidance commands. The FAA confirmed it is now investigating exactly how the Hawker Hunter MK 58 single-seat fighter jet came to share the same airspace with a commercial airliner.
Comedian and fellow traveler Jimmy Dore took to X (formerly Twitter) to spill more details from his perspective. “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport,” he posted. “Myself & plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention. Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us. Wow.” His description adds vivid color to the official caution that two flight attendants required medical treatment for bumps and bruises sustained during the sudden maneuver.
In a joint statement obtained by NBC News, Southwest Airlines said it is “engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances.” The carrier noted that no customer injuries were reported, though two crew members are under care. “We appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew and flight attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the airline emphasized.
The Boeing 737 touched down in Las Vegas without further incident, giving passengers a Thursday night to remember – for better or worse. Meanwhile, the FAA has turned its focus to the unusual pairing of a commercial flight and a Hawker Hunter military jet under the same traffic control sector. Aviation experts say traffic collision avoidance systems are designed to prevent these near misses, but each event prompts fresh questions about separation protocols, especially in busy metropolitan airspace.
And for those curious about other close calls, recall January’s American Airlines Flight 5342 collision with an Army Black Hawk at Reagan National – a tragedy that claimed multiple lives. While Flight 1496 ended on a less grim note, the incident highlights the razor-thin margins in modern air traffic management. So there you have it – another airborne adrenaline rush.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, NBC News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
