California, United States: Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank to Las Vegas were left terrified when their plane suddenly dropped nearly 500 feet to avoid what pilots feared could be a midair collision.
Southwest Flight 1496 had taken off from Hollywood Burbank Airport on July 25 and was climbing through 14,000 feet when its collision alert system warned of an aircraft flying dangerously close. The pilots reacted instantly, first climbing slightly and then diving 475 feet to avoid a Hawker Hunter jet flying nearby at roughly 14,650 feet.
The sharp drop threw people from their seats. Passengers described the cabin erupting in panic, with screams and luggage shifting overhead. Two flight attendants were injured in the turbulence, though no passengers were seriously hurt.
After stabilizing, the captain told passengers that the sudden move was unavoidable, explaining that the cockpit systems issued two rapid alerts first to climb and immediately after, to descend.
Southwest confirmed the incident, praising the crew’s response. “Our pilots followed procedures as designed to keep everyone safe,” the airline said, adding the flight landed safely at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating how the two aircraft came so close. Officials at Burbank Airport said no unusual event was recorded in its immediate tower-controlled airspace, suggesting the near miss occurred in a wider air traffic zone managed by Los Angeles controllers.
The Hawker Hunter, a privately operated jet registered as N335AX, was cleared to fly but its proximity to a commercial route is under review. The incident comes amid a string of recent near misses involving civilian and military-style aircraft, adding pressure on regulators to tighten airspace coordination.
The two injured flight attendants received medical attention upon landing, and all passengers disembarked safely.
