Another day, another FAA investigation

A report adds to the long list of aviation accidents that have plagued the industry in recent years: A Southwest Airlines flight flew too low to the ground, triggering an investigation by the FAA.

As the Dallas Express previously reported, Southwest has come under fire for allegedly committing to race-conscious hiring practices and other “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives.

There are numerous complaints in the industry about DEI being prioritized over business fundamentals and safety. Boeing in particular has come under fire, likely because two of its planes have crashed (killing hundreds of people), and whistleblowers have raised alarm about poor quality assurance after a series of in-flight aircraft failures, as DX reported.

Here are some of the Reuters reports on the Southwest flight that have regulators in a tizzy:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Saturday it is investigating a Southwest Airlines flight after it flew at very low altitude over Tampa Bay, Florida, the latest in a series of incidents raising safety concerns.

The Southwest Boeing 737 MAX flight, which took off from Columbus, Ohio, on July 14, was about 3 miles from Tampa Airport when it descended to an altitude of about 175 feet, according to Flightradar24 data. An air traffic controller alerted the crew of Southwest Flight 425 to the low altitude and the plane was diverted to Fort Lauderdale.

Southwest said on Saturday that it was in contact with the FAA “to understand and resolve any irregularities following the July 14 flight.” “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the airline added.

This was the latest in a series of Southwest Airlines flights that have raised safety concerns, including a Southwest 737 in April that came within 400 feet of the ocean off the coast of Hawaii after the first officer inadvertently pushed the control stick forward, causing the plane to reach a maximum descent rate of about 4,400 feet per minute.