Southwest jet takes sudden plunge after takeoff to avert mid-air collision

BURBANK AIRPORT (Southern California), July 26: In an intense incident in the skies, a Southwest Airline jet heading to Las Vegas from southern California's Hollywood Burbank airport took a sudden plunge shortly after takeoff on Friday to avert a potential mid-air collision with an oncoming plane in the near zone. The pilot was responding to an onboard alert.

Although it was not really a “vertical descent” like a dive, it was rather a rapid controlled descent using standard aviation procedures.

Some passengers flew out of their seats, bumped their heads against the ceiling. Two flight attendants were injured. Passengers panicked and screamed. It was pandemonium inside. One passenger said the aircraft was in a “free-fall”. The plane dropped nearly 500 feet in 36 seconds.

Southwest Flight 1496, a Boeing 737, dropped 475 feet – from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet – just six minutes after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to FlightRadar24 data. A passenger, identified as Steve Ulasewicz, told ABC News that the drastic step was carried out to avoid a mid-air collision.

Comedian Jimmy Dore, who was on the flight, explained that he and several other passengers were tossed about the cabin during the startling descent.

He posted on X: "Just now on SW Flight #1496 Burbank to Las Vegas. Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention. Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us."

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. Southwest said the crew responded to an onboard alert. The flight had departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport just before noon.

Vertical descent: In aviation, it is a rapid controlled descent and not a real “vertical descent” like a dive. Pilots lower the aircraft’s nose to increase descent rate while maintaining aerodynamic stability. The engine power is reduced to help the plane descend faster. Pilots monitor descent rate, and plan 1,500–3,000 feet per minute in emergencies. Depending on the situation, pilots may disengage autopilot for quicker response or use it to maintain precision.

Onboard alert and what is TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System): It alerts pilots to nearby aircraft and recommends climb or descent to avoid conflict. In the Southwest incident, the pilot responded to two onboard alerts, first climbing, then descending rapidly to avoid a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter jet in the same airspace. Despite the scare, the flight landed safely.

How TCAS works: It uses transponders on the aircraft to detect other planes nearby. When another aircraft enters a certain range, TCAS sends out interrogation signals and receives replies to determine their altitude, direction, and speed. TCAS issues Traffic Advisory (TA) - A warning that another aircraft is nearby. And also Resolution Advisory (RA), a direct instruction to climb or descend to avoid collision. It does not depend on air traffic control. TCAS operates autonomously, without relying on ground-based radar or ATC. Pilots are trained to follow TCAS commands over ATC instructions if there's a conflict.

If the other aircraft doesn't have a TCAS: TCAS onboard will not help. TCAS uses active radar-like interrogation to detect nearby transponders. It uses transponder replies to calculate range and altitude. If the other aircraft doesn't have a TCAS, pilot will have to resort to manual means. He will look out!

Most modern aircraft have ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast), which depends on GPS unlike TCAS which depends on transponders. Major carriers like Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s are equipped with ADS-B. It uses GPS to determine position, then broadcasts it every second. Data includes location, altitude, speed, heading, and more. It works passively ie no interrogation needed.