A Southwest Airlines flight came within 400 feet of the ocean near Hawaii on April 11 this year, as disclosed in a recent memo by the carrier. The memo, accessed by news agency Bloomberg said the Boeing 737 Max 8 briefly plunged at a very fast speed of 4,000 feet per minute before the crew were able to pull the aircraft upward.
The incident occurred when adverse weather conditions forced the pilots to abort a landing attempt. There were no injuries and the flight returned to Honolulu, the Hawaiian capital. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched a probe.
The incident is part of a series of reported safety concerns following increased airline activity post-pandemic. Southwest Airlines faces financial challenges amid pressure from investors like Elliott Investment Management, according to a report by Bloomberg.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety. Through our robust Safety Management System, the event was addressed appropriately as we always strive for continuous improvement,” the airline said in a statement to the US-arm of the Independent.
Data from the flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange shows that on April 11, the flight rapidly descended from 1,000 feet to 400 feet within seconds before quickly ascending again.
When it soared, it rose “aggressively” at the rate of 8,500 feet per minute, the memo stated.
The Southwest review said that the incident occurred after an unsuccessful landing attempt in adverse weather conditions, with pilots unable to visually locate the runway.
According to the memo, during the short flight in adverse weather conditions, the captain made the decision to have the “newer” first officer assume command. The first officer, however, inadvertently pushed forward on the control column. This action occurred while monitoring the movement of the thrust lever, which had been caused by the aircraft’s automatic throttle system.
Following the inadvertent control input, the pilot reduced the speed and initiated a descent, triggering alarms which indicated the aircraft was approaching dangerously close to the surface.
A captain then directed the first officer to increase thrust, leading to a rapid climb at a rate of 8,500 feet per minute.
Former pilot and flight instructor Kit Darby while speaking to Bloomberg pointed out that typically, aircraft approaching an airport for landing descend at a rate of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute. As the aircraft nears the runway, the descent rate slows to around 800 feet per minute when it is about five miles away.
“(The pilot was) pitching up and pitching down with the power and close to out of control — very close. It would feel like a rollercoaster ride,” Darby said.
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