The near-miss of Southwest Airlines Flight 1496:
What occurred
Southwest Flight 1496 with 133 passengers and six crew members took off on Friday, July 25, 2025, at Hollywood Burbank Airport and was bound to Las Vegas. About six minutes later after the takeoff, the aircraft quickly dropped 475 feet, thus reducing its altitude to 13,625 feet to avoid a possible mid-air collision with a Hawker Hunter jet flying near its position.
The fast descent is confirmed by flight tracking data (e.g. Radar24 and FlightAware) with the passengers reporting the process as chaotic and terrifying.
Eyewitness accounts
Passengers said the maneuver was a free fall or the Tower of Terror and most were screaming and some were even being pushed out of their seats to bang the ceiling of the cabin.
One of the passengers, Steve Ulasewicz, stated that it felt like a major drop, and the pilot subsequently informed the passengers that they had conducted the descent in order to prevent a mid-air collision.
One stand-up comedian Jimmy Dore, who was a passenger on the plane, wrote that the pilot had warned about collision alert and had to fly under another aircraft. At least one flight attendant was reported to have hit her head, and another was said to have declared during the flight that she was quitting.
Harm and sequelae
The emergency landing resulted in two injured flight attendants being treated. There were no reports of injuries involving passengers.
Nevertheless, the flight made it to Las Vegas, where it landed safely, landing at around noon, local time.
Airline and FAA reaction
Southwest airline confirmed that the crew received two traffic alerts aboard that needed them to climb and then descend to evade the other plane. They have reaffirmed in their interest to keep customers and employees safe, and that they are collaborating with the FAA with regard to the investigations.
A statement released by the Federal Aviation Administration said that the accident took place in the airspace of Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center and is already being investigated. They pointed out that the maneuvering was in reaction to alerts on board. The situation is also being examined by the Burbank Airport officials who indicated that there was no radar trace that indicated the descent within their immediate airspace.
Setting and wider issues
The incident is another one since a Delta Connection plane evading a B-52 bomber over North Dakota was forced to maneuver a week ago. The FAA is also investigating that incident.
It is a reflection of increased criticism of airline safety, in particular, military and civilian traffic management and possible failures in communication or awareness in common airspace.
Want to know the specifics of the investigation, the past history of near-misses, or rules of the air traffic? Ask away, I would love to be of assistance!
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