Southwest Airlines Plane Narrowly Avoids Ghastly Crash, Just 400 Feet from Ocean in Hawaii

Photo : AFP

Southwest Airlines Flight 2786 narrowly averted a potential disaster off the coast of Hawaii in April, when it came within just 400 feet of the ocean after aborting a landing due to adverse weather conditions, as reported by Bloomberg.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft experienced a sudden descent of several hundred feet in a matter of seconds before the crew managed to regain control, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic crash. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among the passengers on board.

The flight had departed from Honolulu en route to Lihue Airport for a short journey. As it approached its destination, deteriorating weather conditions obscured the runway, prompting the pilot to make the decision to go around and abort the landing attempt.

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Data from ADS-B Exchange, a flight tracking website, indicated that the aircraft descended to within 400 feet of the sea level during the incident. The flight crew responded by initiating a rapid climb to steer clear of the ocean, amidst what was described as a tense and critical moment in the cockpit.

Kit Darby, a former commercial airline pilot and flight instructor, commented to Bloomberg, "The pilot was pitching up and pitching down with the power and close to out of control — very close. It would feel like a roller coaster ride."

The first officer, who was in command during this flight, reportedly "inadvertently" pushed forward on the controls while monitoring the thrust level, causing the aircraft to descend rapidly. Alarms were triggered as the plane dropped at a rate exceeding 4,000 feet per minute. The captain intervened to increase thrust, prompting the aircraft to climb aggressively at a rate of 8,500 feet per minute.

Following the intense sequence of events, the plane returned safely to Honolulu, where it landed without further incident. Southwest Airlines emphasized its commitment to safety, stating, "Nothing is more important to Southwest than Safety," and highlighting their robust Safety Management System that addresses incidents for continuous improvement.

The airline has pledged to conduct a thorough review using industry and internal data to assess if any updates are needed to protocols and training. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an investigation into the incident to ensure all safety protocols were followed and to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

June 15, 2024 1:04 p.m. 562

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