A Southwest Airlines flight descended into chaos after the aircraft made a sudden dive mid-flight to avoid a potential collision with a military jet.
Flight 1496 had just taken off from Burbank Airport in Los Angeles en route to Las Vegas around noon on Friday (July 25), when, just six minutes into the journey, the plane dropped sharply, falling from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet, according to FlightRadar24.
The maneuver was reportedly executed to avoid a Hawker Hunter, a military jet that had entered the same airspace. Passengers onboard described the dramatic moment as sheer “pandemonium.”
“It felt like a significant drop,” passenger Steve Ulasewicz told NBC Los Angeles. “The plane was just in freefall. People were screaming, it was total pandemonium.”
Ulasewicz said the sudden dip launched passengers out of their seats, with some hitting their heads on the ceiling. Flight attendants had just announced beverage service moments before the drop, he added.
Two crew members sustained injuries and were treated after landing, though no passengers were hurt, according to Southwest Airlines via ABC News.
Flight data showed the aircraft, which was traveling at around 450 mph, began to climb again just 20 seconds after the descent.
Once things stabilized, the pilot informed passengers that onboard collision avoidance systems had triggered the emergency maneuver.
Comedian Jimmy Dore was among those onboard and later took to X to share his experience: “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on the ceiling. A flight attendant needed medical attention.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the near miss in a statement: “Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace. The FAA is investigating the event.”
Southwest Airlines later confirmed the flight continued on to Las Vegas and landed without further incident. “We appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew and flight attendants in responding to this event,” the airline said. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
