Accidentally descended
Aviation authority investigates near-crash off Hawaii
16.06.2024, 13:33
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
After two devastating crashes, the Boeing 737 Max series is under special observation. A near-crash near Hawaii has now brought the US aviation authority back into action. The incident off Kauai could be due to human error.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident in which a Boeing 737 Max 8 belonging to Southwest Airlines almost crashed off the coast of Hawaii just a few hundred meters above the Pacific Ocean. The US aviation authority announced this. The incident involving the aircraft is said to have occurred on April 11.
The Southwest Airlines flight was traveling from Honolulu to Lihue and encountered adverse weather conditions near Kauai, forcing the pilots to abort their first attempt to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane plummeted over the ocean, according to air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News. The crew managed to regain control and return safely to Honolulu.
A memorandum Southwest distributed to its pilots last week and obtained by Bloomberg News shows that the plane came within about 400 feet of the ocean’s surface. The plane reportedly lost altitude at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute before the pilots were able to successfully pull it up and avert a potential disaster. According to the memo, a co-pilot accidentally pushed the control stick forward. No passengers or crew were injured in the incident.
The Boeing 737 Max series has been under special scrutiny following two devastating crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people. The tragedies were attributed to a faulty automatic flight control system, leading to a worldwide grounding of the aircraft. After extensive investigations, software updates and improved pilot training, the FAA cleared the 737 Max for service again in November 2020.