Southwest Airways can’t appear to remain out of the information currently in the case of regarding security incidents. We are able to now add yet one more close to disaster to the checklist, and this would possibly simply be the scariest one we’ve seen up to now…
Southwest 737 MAX has close to catastrophe on method to Tampa
This incident occurred on Sunday, July 14, 2024, and entails Southwest Airways flight WN425, scheduled to fly from Columbus (CMH) to Tampa (TPA). The flight was operated by a lower than one-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8 with the license plate N8841L.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 4PM and arrive at 6:10PM. The airplane took off roughly on schedule, at 4:15PM, and a lot of the flight was routine, although it took a bit longer than ordinary on account of climate enroute, because the airplane made a number of detours.
On high of that, climate circumstances in Tampa weren’t nice that day, with rain and robust gusts, so it was a difficult method.
Round 2hr50min after departure, the airplane was on method to runway 10 at Tampa Airport. Because the airplane was coming in over Tampa Bay, whereas round 4 miles from the runway, it descended as little as 150 toes, based on ADS-B information.
Let’s not mince phrases right here — that’s terrifying, and seconds from catastrophe. For context, that altitude is only a bit greater than the 737’s wingspan. That additionally doesn’t consider that the airplane was coming in proper over the Courtney Campbell Causeway, which is elevated above the water.
Worst of all, the pilots didn’t even appear to understand what was occurring. As a substitute, they solely elevated altitude once more after an air visitors controller warned them a couple of low altitude alert. Right here’s how that interplay went at first:
ATC: “Southwest 425, low altitude alert, test your altitude. Tampa’s altimeter is 30.14.”
Pilot: “30.14, thanks, Southwest 425.”
The pilots positive sound calm, for higher or worse. The Southwest airplane then began to slowly achieve altitude once more. Then the dialog continued as follows:
ATC: “Southwest 425, you propose to go round?”
Pilot: “Yeah, we’re, we now have to go, Southwest 425.”
ATC: “Southwest 425, roger, cancel method clearance, go round runway 10. For now you’ll be able to fly runway heading and climb and preserve 1,600.”
After this incident, the jet ended up diverting to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), the place the climate was higher. There have been a number of different diversions that day. The airplane landed safely in Fort Lauderdale at 7:45PM, after 3hr30min within the air.
Beneath you’ll be able to see an outline of what occurred, plus you’ll be able to hear the ATC audio. Due to “You may see ATC” for locating this incident within the first place.
For context, the airplane on method instantly forward of this was additionally a Southwest 737. When that airplane was 4 miles out, it was at an altitude of 1,300 toes, so that offers you a way of simply how far off 150 toes is. The crew of that flight was requested by air visitors management to report on climate circumstances, and acknowledged the next:
“Really three miles in was average rain and only a mild chop. The dangerous stuff might be 5, 6, 7 miles out with that gust.”
How might one thing like this occur?
We’ve seen a slew of Southwest incidents not too long ago, although I’ve to say, this one looks like it was the closest to being a catastrophe. The airplane was 150 toes above the bay, and that doesn’t even account for the freeway that’s elevated above the water.
At the start, the air visitors controller right here deserves huge kudos. This might have had a really totally different final result, and he may need simply saved a number of lives that day. I do know air visitors controllers have irritating jobs, however credit score to this man for his efficiency and timing. If he had waited a couple of extra seconds, this might have had a distinct final result.
I’m positive an investigation will likely be carried out into what occurred, as a result of this can be a main incident. It looks like the almost definitely clarification right here is that the pilots hadn’t set their altimeter accurately. For these not conversant in the altimeter, that is the instrument that measures the altitude a airplane is at. The catch is that the altimeter all the time needs to be set to native settings, based mostly on the circumstances in a spot.
So should you don’t have the altimeter set accurately, it should present the incorrect altitude. It appears almost definitely that this may occasionally clarify what occurred right here…
Does Southwest have a difficulty with its security tradition?
It’s type of unbelievable what number of shut calls Southwest planes have had currently. Simply in current months, we’ve seen a scary go round in Hawaii, a dangerously low method in Oklahoma Metropolis, an inflight Dutch roll, and taking off from a closed runway. And people are simply a number of of the incidents which have been reported.
Is that this simply dangerous luck, or does Southwest have an issue? Admittedly Southwest is a big airline, and operates a number of flights every day. Nonetheless, a disproportionate variety of the current incidents involving pilot error are at Southwest.
Nearly all US airways have extra junior cockpits than they did earlier than the pandemic, given what number of new pilots have been employed. Nonetheless, what’s particularly occurring at Southwest that’s inflicting this? It’s past my pay grade, however at this level I believe it’s onerous to completely chalk this as much as a coincidence.
For all of the elevated oversight that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has over United Airways for issues of safety, possibly it’s time for the federal government to have a look at Southwest’s state of affairs with pilots…
Backside line
A Southwest Airways Boeing 737 MAX had a reasonably wild method to Tampa Airport. Climate circumstances weren’t nice, and for no matter motive, the airplane descended right down to 150 toes round 4 miles from the runway. Thankfully the air visitors controller acquired a low altitude alert and warned the crew, at which level they initiated a go round.
What do you make of this newest Southwest incident?
