By David Shepardson
(Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Saturday it was investigating a Southwest Airlines flight after it flew at very low altitude over Tampa Bay, Florida, the latest in a series of incidents raising safety concerns.
The July 14 Southwest Boeing 737 MAX flight from Columbus, Ohio, was about 3 miles from Tampa Airport when it descended to an altitude of about 175 feet, according to Flightradar24 data. An air traffic controller alerted the crew of Southwest Flight 425 to the low altitude and the plane was diverted to Fort Lauderdale.
Southwest said on Saturday that it was in contact with the FAA “to understand and resolve any irregularities following the July 14 flight.” “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the airline added.
This was the latest in a series of Southwest Airlines flights that have raised safety concerns, including a Southwest 737 in April that came within 400 feet of the ocean off the coast of Hawaii after the first officer inadvertently pushed the control stick forward, causing the plane to reach a maximum descent rate of about 4,400 feet per minute.
The FAA is also investigating another very low-altitude Southwest flight that was about 9 miles (14.5 km) from Oklahoma City Airport. In the June 19 incident, Southwest Airlines Flight 4069, which had taken off from Las Vegas, dropped to about 500 feet. After an alarm sounded, an air traffic controller alerted the flight crew.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are also currently investigating a May 25 Southwest 737 MAX flight that experienced a “Dutch roll” at 34,000 feet en route from Phoenix, Arizona, to Oakland, California. Such lateral, asymmetrical movements are named after a Dutch skating technique and can pose serious safety risks.
The FAA is also investigating a June 25 Southwest flight that took off from a closed runway in Portland, Maine.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Nick Zieminski)
