Southwest Flight Drops Hundreds of Feet to Avoid Another Plane

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 experienced a dramatic plunge to avoid a collision with another aircraft while departing L.A. Passengers were told the pilot had nearly collided with a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58. The FAA is investigating, and the airline is working with the agency to understand the circumstances of the event. The flight landed safely in Las Vegas.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a fighter jet over Southern California on Friday, July 25, 2025. The incident occurred just minutes after takeoff from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), where the aircraft, registered as N249WN, was operating as Southwest Flight 1496 bound for Las Vegas.

The aircraft experienced an aggressive maneuver, descending rapidly by nearly 500 feet, after receiving collision avoidance alerts. This maneuver resulted in two crew members being injured, though no injuries were reported among the passengers. Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident, stating that the crew responded to two onboard traffic alerts and that the flight continued to Las Vegas uneventfully [1].

The incident is the second major near-miss involving a commercial aircraft in the last week. Earlier in the week, a Delta Connection Embraer E175 had to "aggressively maneuver" to avoid colliding with a US Air Force B-52 bomber over North Dakota. This incident prompted the SkyWest Airlines-operated flight to abort its landing at Minot International Airport (MOT) [2].

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident, and Southwest Airlines is working with the agency to understand the circumstances. The other aircraft involved was identified as a Hawker Hunter MK-58 fighter jet. Passengers described the event as terrifying, with some reporting that they felt as if they were experiencing a theme park ride [1].

The rapid descent and subsequent climb were attributed to the need to avoid the fighter jet. The pilot's quick action likely prevented a more serious incident. While the flight landed safely in Las Vegas, the incident has raised questions about air traffic control and the potential for such near-misses to occur more frequently [3].

References:
[1] https://simpleflying.com/southwest-airlines-boeing-737-700-dives-475-avoid-collision-burbank/
[2] https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/southwest-flight-dives-to-avoid-collision-in-california-passengers-screaming-2-crew-hurt-101753528054608.html
[3] https://curlytales.com/ct-scoop/las-vegas-bound-southwest-airlines-drops-to-avoid-mid-air-collision-two-injured/