Southwest Flight Attendants Injured After Near-Collision During Takeoff

On Friday, July 25th, a Southwest Airlines flight departing from Burbank, California, experienced a harrowing incident. Pilots were forced to take evasive action during takeoff to avoid another aircraft, resulting in injuries to two flight attendants.

The Southwest flight, identified as Flight 1496, made a sharp descent of nearly 500 feet. This event marked the second instance in a week where a US commercial jet was compelled to perform abrupt maneuvers to avert a potential mid-air collision. Furthermore, this incident appeared to be the fourth involving military aircraft since March.

The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the Southwest pilots acted upon receiving cockpit alerts indicating the presence of another aircraft in close proximity. The Boeing 737 continued its journey to Las Vegas, where it landed without further issues.

Flight-tracking data revealed the other aircraft involved was a Hawker Hunter fighter jet, a British-built plane, which crossed in front of the Southwest flight. The planes came dangerously close, with a lateral separation of 7.82 kilometers and a vertical separation of only 350 feet. The US Air Force and Defense Department did not immediately comment on the military jet's presence near Burbank.

The airline reported that two flight attendants received treatment for their injuries, without specifying the nature of those injuries. Passengers were not immediately reported to have been injured. However, one passenger described the experience as terrifying, stating that the sharp descent caused panic onboard, with the belief that the plane was about to crash. The pilot later informed the passengers that they had narrowly avoided a collision.

Southwest's statement explained that the incident began when the crew responded to "two onboard traffic alerts" during takeoff from the Hollywood Burbank Airport, necessitating the climb and descent maneuvers to comply with the alerts.