Southwest plane drops to 500 feet as it approaches airport

NOW THE SCARE ON A SOUTHWEST PLANE AS IT WAS LANDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THE JET DROPPING TO JUST OVER 500 FEET FROM THE GROUND WHILE IT WAS STILL MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. STEPHANIE RAMOS HAS DETAILS. GOOD MORNING. >> Reporter: WHIT, GOOD MORNING. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING AFTER THAT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PLANE DESCENDED TO A DANGEROUSLY LOW ALTITUDE AS IT APPROACHED AN AIRPORT IN OKLAHOMA. AN AUTOMATED WARNING ALERTING THOSE TRAFFIC CONTROL OPERATORS. THIS MORNING THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING AFTER A SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PLANE DROPPED TO ROUGHLY 525 FEET BEFORE MAKING IT TO THE RUNWAY. THIS IMAGE SHOWS THE PLANE WHEN IT CLIMBS BACK INTO THE SKY AFTER COMING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE WITH A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. >> FOR SOME REASON THEY BLEW THROUGH AND ASSIGNED ALTITUDE AND CONTINUED AND GOT VERY CLOSE TO THE GROUND. >> Reporter: THE BOEING 737 MAKING ITS APPROACH INTO THE OKLAHOMA CITY AIRPORT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY. THE PLANE PASSING JUST OVER A HIGH SCHOOL, ABOUT NINE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. A LOW ALTITUDE ALARM ALERTED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, WHICH CONTACTED THE COCKPIT. >> SOUTHWEST 4069 LOW ALTITUDE ALERT. ARE YOU DOING OKAY? >> THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER IN THE TOWER SAVED THE DAY BY TELLING THEM, CHECK YOUR ALTITUDE. >> Reporter: THE PLANE LANDING A FEW MINUTES LATER. >> THEY WERE DESCENDING OVER THE PRAIRIE, SO THERE WAS NO LIGHTS, NO VISUAL REFERENCE. IT WAS ESSENTIALLY DESCENDING OVER A BLACK HOLE. THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE LIGHTS OF OKLAHOMA CITY, LOOKING FOR THE AIRPORT, AND FOR SOME REASON THEY MISSED THAT ASSIGNED ALTITUDE. >> Reporter: THIS COMES JUST DAYS AFTER WE LEARNED OF ANOTHER SOUTHWEST PLANE FROM HAWAII THAT CAME WITHIN JUST 400 FEET OF CRASHING INTO THE OCEAN BACK IN APRIL. A MEMO REVEALING A NEWER FIRST OFFICER ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED FORWARD THE CONTROL COLUMN. >> SOUTHWEST 2786 MODERATE TO EXTREME PRECIPITATION 11 O'CLOCK ONE ZERO MILE. >> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT, SOUTHWEST SAYS IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE FAA TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS ANY IRREGULARITIES WITH THAT AIRCRAFT THAT MADE THAT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT IN OKLAHOMA. REBECCA? >>Rebecca: LET'S HOPE THEY GET THOSE ANSWERS SOON.

Channel: ABC News

Views: 174,985

Keywords: 737, FAA, OKC, abc, airlines, approach, boeing, city, drop, final, gma, news, oklahoma, p_cmsid=2494279, p_vid=news-111305149, pilot, southwest, sudden

Id: Xq-JkHfDXUg

Length: 2min 10sec (130 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 21 2024