Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines plane bound for Tampa were seconds from catastrophe when it descended to just 150 feet above sea level despite being four miles from the runway.
The incident occurred on July 14 and involved a one-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8 that took off from Columbus, Ohio, around 4 p.m. and was scheduled to land in Florida at 6:10 p.m. The flight experienced a minor delay during the flight due to adverse weather conditions.
The approach into Tampa was also unclear, with rain and strong winds reported. The plane was diverted to a runway not typically used by commercial airlines at Tampa International Airport, but which was being used due to the weather.
As the plane flew over Tampa Bay, at one point it was just 150 feet above the water. That altitude is only slightly greater than the overall wingspan of the 737 MAX 8.
By comparison, the Southwest plane in front of this plane was also a 737 MAX 8 and was maintaining an altitude of 1,300 feet.
The plane might have crashed into the Courtney Campbell Causeway had it not been for an air traffic controller who reacted quickly and alerted the pilots, telling them to “check your altitude.”
The flight still had four miles to go before reaching the runway, but it descended to a terrifying 150 feet.
Audio of the incident shows the pilot remaining calm as a low altitude alert was issued. The pair then increased altitude again to 1,600 feet.
Due to weather, the flight was rerouted to Fort Lauderdale, 200 miles away, where it landed safely at around 7:45 p.m. local time.
A retired pilot said Tampa Bay Fox that it is ‘hard to believe’ that the pilots would allow the plane to fly so low with so many instruments on board to warn of situations like this.
“It’s all down to the pilots. On any approach, especially in bad weather like they encountered at the time, it’s imperative that they work together as a crew,” Kent Davis told the station.
‘Either they began their descent at the wrong point and descended thinking they were at the proper descent speed toward the runway, or something may have gone wrong.’
“Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the crew aborted their planned approach to Tampa International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.
The July 14 flight followed a similar incident last month in Oklahoma City, in which a Southwest plane flew at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is investigating the incident.
Southwest Airlines has been through a series of near-disastrous situations in recent months.
Dallas-based Southwest said it is in contact with the FAA “to understand and address any irregularities. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
An air traffic controller contacted that crew after receiving an automated warning from the control tower. The plane circled the airport (a missed approach maneuver) before landing without incident.
In April, a Southwest flight crashed off the coast of Hawaii, coming within 400 feet of the ocean before the plane began to climb.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating a Southwest plane that performed an unusual “Dutch roll” and was found to have tail damage after a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California. Investigators say the plane had been parked outdoors during a severe storm.
