LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2025) — In a frightening episode now making headlines in both Southwest Airlines Las Vegas news and aviation safety circles, Southwest Flight 1496 from Burbank to Las Vegas plunged nearly 500 feet just minutes after departure. The descent occurred as the aircraft received multiple collision alerts warning of a nearby Hawker Hunter aircraft in its flight path.
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Dramatic Southwest Flight Plunge Near‑Collision Incident: Two Flight Attendants Injured |
A Near-Miss in Burbank Airspace
Flight 1496, a Boeing 737, took off from Hollywood Burbank Airport around noon. Roughly six minutes into the flight, the collision avoidance system triggered two alerts. In response, the pilots climbed and then sharply descended from 14,100 to 13,625 feet within about 30–36 seconds—a drop of approximately 300 to 500 feet . At the same time, data from FlightRadar24 showed a Hawker Hunter Mk 58 military jet—registered to a British defense company—flying above at 14,653 feet, coming within roughly 4.86 miles laterally and about 350 feet vertically .
Onboard Chaos & Injured Crew
Passengers described the descent as feeling like a “free fall,” with some thrown out of unbuckled seats and even hitting the ceiling. One commuter likened it to the “Tower of Terror” ride at theme parks . A well-known passenger, comedian Jimmy Dore, tweeted during the flight:
“Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us” .
Southwest confirmed that two flight attendants were injured during the maneuver. No passenger injuries were immediately reported. Medical personnel treated the crew after the aircraft landed safely in Las Vegas .
Aviation Oversight & Regulatory Response
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Southwest Airlines are actively investigating the incident. Southwest confirmed the crew responded correctly to two onboard traffic alerts, executing both a climb and a descent. The airline emphasized that safety remains its top priority . Interestingly, Burbank Airport authorities reported no record of the dramatic descent within their direct airspace, raising questions about coordination within the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center .
Context: Rising Aviation Safety Concerns
This incident adds to a pattern of recent Southwest flight collision avoidance episodes involving military aircraft. Just a week prior, a SkyWest Airlines flight operating as a Delta Connection was forced to evade a U.S. Air Force bomber over North Dakota, prompting FAA scrutiny of military–civilian flight coordination.
Moreover, a deadly midair collision over Washington, D.C. in January 2025 that killed 67 people has intensified public concern about airspace safety. Regulators and airlines alike remain under pressure to bolster protocols in civilian and military flight operations .