Southwest Flight's a close call: Aircraft Flew Just 150 Feet Above Ground

Southwest Airlines, whose planes are regularly serviced at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, encountered several low-altitude scares in 2024.

Recently, a Southwest Airlines flight en route to Tampa, Florida, from Columbus, Ohio, alarmingly descended to a mere 150 feet above the ground while still nearly five miles away from the airport, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar24. This incident, which occurred last week, resulted in the flight diverting from Tampa International Airport and landing in Fort Lauderdale instead. This marks the third occurrence of a Southwest flight descending to a potentially hazardous low altitude this year.

In an official statement, Southwest Airlines explained, "Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport. The aircraft returned to Tampa after a short time on the ground in Fort Lauderdale."

Southwest further noted, "We are adhering to our comprehensive Safety Management System and are communicating with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate and rectify any irregularities. The safety of our clients and employees remains our utmost priority."

Data from Flightradar24 indicates that the previous three flights into Tampa descended to an altitude of 1,225 feet at the same distance from the airport, highlighting the significant deviation of Flight 425. The low-altitude incident occurred amid poor weather conditions, including thunderstorms.

This incident follows two other concerning low-altitude occurrences involving Southwest flights this year. On June 19, Southwest Flight 4069 descended to just 525 feet above the ground while nine miles from Oklahoma City. Earlier, on April 11, Southwest Flight 2786 flew as low as 400 feet above the ocean near the Hawaiian island of Kauai, with the plane descending at a rate of 4,000 feet per minute before ascending.

As investigations continue, Southwest Airlines remains focused on maintaining and enhancing the safety measures for its operations.

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