Southwest Boeing’s low-level flight over Tampa Bay triggers FAA investigation

The wingspan of a Boeing 737 Max 8 is just under 36 meters – and a recent Southwest flight with this aircraft did not fly much further over Tampa Bay, even though it was still 5 kilometers from the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what led to the dangerously low altitude on Flight 425 from Columbus, Ohio to Tampa Bay, Florida, on July 14. according to CNBC. Data from Flightradar24 showed the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max descended to 175 feet, prompting an air traffic controller to send a warning to pilots. The flight was diverted to Fort Lauderdale, where it landed safely.

The incident puts Southwest in the firing line again after other airline flights have descended to very low altitudes. In April, Southwest Flight 2786 just under 120 meters from the crash in the Pacific Ocean near HawaiiIn June, Southwest Flight 4069 descended to just 525 feet when it was still about 9 miles from the airport in Oklahoma CityAnd in May, a 737 Max 8 operated by Southwest Airlines was grounded for more than a week after a so-called “Dutch roll,” in which an aircraft rotates and swirls in the air at the same time.

southwest said Reuters on Saturday that they are working with the FAA “to understand and resolve any irregularities related to the July 14 incident.” “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the airline said.

Melvin Backman contributed to this article.