A federal investigation has been launched following a recent incident involving a Southwest Airlines flight that descended dangerously close to the ocean off the coast of a Hawaiian island. The incident, which took place on April 11 aboard Southwest Flight 2786, was brought to public attention after a memo was sent to pilots regarding the event.
According to reports, the incident occurred when a 'newer' first officer inadvertently pushed forward on the control column, causing the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to drop at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while just 600 feet above sea level. The plane descended as low as 400 feet before swiftly climbing back up.
Southwest Airlines emphasized its commitment to safety, stating that the event was addressed promptly through its Safety Management System. The airline expressed its dedication to continuous improvement in safety measures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was promptly informed of the incident and has initiated an investigation into the matter. Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has not issued any comments regarding the incident at this time.
The flight was en route from Honolulu to Lihue airport on the island of Kauai, with the pilots opting to abort a landing due to adverse weather conditions. Subsequently, the aircraft returned to Honolulu following the aborted landing attempt.
This incident comes after a similar occurrence in December 2022 involving a United Airlines flight departing from a different Hawaiian airport. In that incident, the aircraft descended perilously close to the ocean due to miscommunication between the pilots regarding the airplane's flaps settings, narrowly avoiding a disaster.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not yet confirmed whether it will conduct an investigation into the recent Southwest Airlines incident, but the FAA's probe is currently underway.
