Janice R. Andrews
Date: 15 June 2024__Off the coast of Kauai, a Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Southwest Airlines experienced a near-catastrophic event when it plunged within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean. On April 11, as Southwest Flight 2786 was in route from Honolulu International Airport to Lihue Airport in Kauai, a terrifying incident took place.
The event occurred when the pilots were forced to make an abrupt course adjustment due to unfavorable weather conditions. The aircraft began the journey at around 16,000 feet in altitude and quickly dropped to only 409 feet above the sea. A letter that Bloomberg News was able to receive states that the descent took place following an attempted landing that was aborted due to weather-related poor visibility.
The memo’s details showed that the captain had given the 100-mile interisland flight to the “newer” first officer as pilot in command. The aircraft descended rapidly due to the first officer’s unintentional forward press of the control column, which decreased the aircraft’s speed. As the aircraft approached the ocean, the warning system sounded, causing the captain to give the command to increase thrust, which launched the aircraft into a fast rise of 8,500 feet per minute.
It was a terrible experience, but nobody got hurt. The trip, which was scheduled to last for about 22 minutes, departed Honolulu at 6:45 p.m. and arrived back there safely at 8:09 p.m.
Nothing is more essential to Southwest Airlines than safety, according to a representative for the airline. As we constantly work to improve, the incident was handled effectively thanks to our strong Safety Management System.”
At now, the event is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
