Two Southwest Airlines flight attendants are being treated for injuries after crew members aboard a flight headed to Las Vegas from Southern California received onboard traffic alerts that forced the plane to descend dramatically.The plane took a dramatic plunge shortly after takeoff Friday in response to an alert about a nearby plane, the airline and passengers said.In a statement Friday evening, Southwest Airlines said the crew of Southwest Flight 1496 “responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank, Cal., requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.”Southwest did not say what caused pilots to receive an onboard traffic alert, but said Flight 1496 “continued to Las Vegas,” and that it had an “uneventful” landing.The flight departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport just before noon.Southwest Airlines said no customers reported being injured. Some passengers, in social media posts, claimed that their flight descended to avoid a collision with another plane soon after takeoff.Comedian Jimmy Dore, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said he was aboard Flight 1496. In his post, Dore said, “Just now on SW Flight #1496 Burbank to Las Vegas.Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention. Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us. Wow.”Fellow comedian Stef Zamorano posted a video reply to Dore’s post on X, in which the two described their experience on the flight. “We were all shaken up,” Zamorano wrote. “The flight erupted with applause once we landed.”Southwest said two flight attendants were being treated for injuries. The airline did not give further details about the extent of their injuries. In its statement, Southwest said it is “engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances.”The plane was not in the immediate vicinity of the Hollywood Burbank Airport, north of Los Angeles, at the time, said Mike Christensen, an airport spokesman. Christensen said that neither the control tower or the operations department, which tracks planes departing and arriving, have any record of the Southwest flight plunging in their airspace.A Southwest spokesperson said, “We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”This close call is just the latest incident to raise questions about aviation safety in the wake of January’s midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. _________The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Southwest Airlines flight attendants are being treated for injuries after crew members aboard a flight headed to Las Vegas from Southern California received onboard traffic alerts that forced the plane to descend dramatically.
The plane took a dramatic plunge shortly after takeoff Friday in response to an alert about a nearby plane, the airline and passengers said.
In a statement Friday evening, Southwest Airlines said the crew of Southwest Flight 1496 “responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank, Cal., requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.”
Southwest did not say what caused pilots to receive an onboard traffic alert, but said Flight 1496 “continued to Las Vegas,” and that it had an “uneventful” landing.
The flight departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport just before noon.
Southwest Airlines said no customers reported being injured. Some passengers, in social media posts, claimed that their flight descended to avoid a collision with another plane soon after takeoff.
Comedian Jimmy Dore, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said he was aboard Flight 1496. In his post, Dore said, “Just now on SW Flight #1496 Burbank to Las Vegas.Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention. Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us. Wow.”
Fellow comedian Stef Zamorano posted a video reply to Dore’s post on X, in which the two described their experience on the flight.
“We were all shaken up,” Zamorano wrote. “The flight erupted with applause once we landed.”
Southwest said two flight attendants were being treated for injuries. The airline did not give further details about the extent of their injuries.
In its statement, Southwest said it is “engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances.”
The plane was not in the immediate vicinity of the Hollywood Burbank Airport, north of Los Angeles, at the time, said Mike Christensen, an airport spokesman. Christensen said that neither the control tower or the operations department, which tracks planes departing and arriving, have any record of the Southwest flight plunging in their airspace.
A Southwest spokesperson said, “We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
This close call is just the latest incident to raise questions about aviation safety in the wake of January’s midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
_________
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
