Passengers on a Southwest Airlines jet described an unsettling drop Friday on a flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Las Vegas after onboard air traffic alerts indicated another aircraft in the area.
Southwest Airlines flight No. 1496 departed just before noon from Burbank to Las Vegas. The plane went on to land safely in Las Vegas after tense moments in the air over California.
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Social media posts from people on the plane described the aircraft as entering a “dive” a few minutes after takeoff from the San Fernando Valley airport for the short flight to Las Vegas. Southwest Airlines said the crew was responding to two onboard traffic alerts that the FAA said indicated another aircraft near the passenger airliner.
“Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace,” the FAA said. “The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 11 a.m. local time on Friday, July 25.”
Passenger Steve Ulasewicz told NBCLA that about eight minutes into the flight the plane took a sudden dip for about eight to 10 seconds. Passengers were screaming during the drop before the plane leveled out, he said.
Once the flight smoothed out, Ulasewicz, who was traveling to Las Vegas, said the pilot made an announcement indicating the plane used software to avoid a midair collision.
“Felt a significant drop,” Ulasewicz said. “The plane was just in a freefall. People were screaming. It was pandemonium.”
The jarring drop occurred about a minute after the crew announced beverage service was about to start, the Woodland Hills resident said. He said an injured flight attendant appeared to have an icepack on her head following the drop.
A spokesperson for Hollywood Burbank Airport told NBCLA authorities are “looking into the incident, however, there is currently no evidence that it occurred within the airspace above our airport.”
Southwest Airlines said the crew responded to onboard air traffic alerts after departing from Burbank. Two flight attendants were treated for injuries, the airline said.
“The crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank… requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement. “The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully.
“Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances. No injuries were immediately reported by Customers, but two Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries. 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 FAA confirmed it is investigating the incident, saying the Southwest flight “responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity.”
