A Southwest Airlines flight arriving at Tampa International Airport was diverted to Fort Lauderdale after the plane descended dangerously low nearly four miles from the tarmac.
According to a report from Fox 13 Tampa, the plane came down less than 150 feet from the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
At this distance, the plane should have been about 1,000 feet above the ground.
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“Southwest Airlines Flight 425 was safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the crew aborted their planned approach to Tampa International Airport,” a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said in an email to Fox News Digital. “The aircraft returned to Tampa after a brief ground period in Fort Lauderdale.”
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft takes off from Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., on Friday, April 12, 2024. Southwest Airlines Co. is scheduled to release earnings figures on April 25. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In an air traffic control call obtained by Fox 13 Tampa, the technician can be heard contacting the pilot saying, “Southwest 425, low altitude alert, check your altitude…”
It is not yet known why the flight was diverted to Fort Lauderdale Airport. The FAA is currently investigating the incident.
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“The FAA has increased oversight of Southwest Airlines to ensure it complies with federal safety regulations through the certificate holder evaluation process,” the FAA said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Safety will determine the timeline.”
A retired pilot interviewed by Fox 13 Tampa believes it was pilot error. “How they were able to get to 150 feet with the amount of warnings that are available on an airplane… it’s really hard to believe,” Kent Davis said.
An aerial view of Tampa International Airport (TPA) on January 31, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The retired pilot of 30 years continued: “Either they started their descent in the wrong place and descended thinking they had the right rate of descent to the runway, or there was a malfunction.”
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
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It may take months for the FAA to investigate the initial findings.
