Weather conditions forced the pilots of the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane to suddenly change course, bringing it close to crashing into the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Get the memo to Southwest Airlines pilots Bloomberg NewsDetails of Southwest Airlines Flight 2786, which departed from Honolulu International Airport to Lihue Airport on Kauai on April 11.
Passengers became anxious after the plane descended from an altitude of about 16,000 feet to 409 feet.
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A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet departs from San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, bound for Denver on January 13, 2024. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
According to a Southwest Airlines memo, the accident occurred after bad weather caused the pilot to abort the landing because he could not see the runway at the designated altitude.
The memo said the captain chose to hand over command of the 100-mile inter-island flight to a “new” first officer despite unpredictable weather conditions.
The inexperienced co-pilot “accidentally” pushed forward on the control column that controls the plane’s pitch and roll, slowing the plane down and sending it into a steep dive.
Makua Reef, Tunnels Beach and Haena Beach Park on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii. (Photo by John G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Image Group via Getty Images) (John G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The pilot’s violent movements triggered a warning system that warned the plane was approaching terrain too closely.
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The memo states that the captain told the first officer to increase thrust and the plane began to “climb sharply” at a speed of 8,500 feet per minute.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest low-cost airline with a fleet of 802 Boeing 737 aircraft. (Nicholas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The interisland flight, which was scheduled to last approximately 22 minutes, departed Honolulu at 6:45 p.m., but after the incident the plane returned to Honolulu at 8:09 p.m.
No one was injured during the gruesome ride.
“The incident was handled appropriately,” a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than safety,” the spokesperson said. “We are always committed to continuous improvement, and through our robust safety management system, this incident was handled appropriately.”
The Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital that it is “investigating the incident.”
A United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner lands at London Heathrow LHR/EGLL International Airport, England, UK. (Nicholas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Southwest Airlines accident is reminiscent of the United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash off the coast of Maui in 2022.
of Boeing 777-200 On Dec. 18, 2022, the plane reached an altitude of 2,200 feet about one minute after taking off from Maui, then rapidly descended to 775 feet above sea level about 20 seconds later.
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“After landing at San Francisco International Airport, the pilot filed the appropriate safety report,” a United Airlines spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. “United then worked closely with the FAA and ALPA.” [Air Line Pilots Association] As a result of the investigation, the pilot ultimately underwent additional training. Safety is our number one priority.”
