By David Shepardson
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday it was investigating a Southwest Airlines plane that crashed after flying too low over Tampa Bay, Florida, the latest in a series of incidents that have raised safety questions.
The Southwest Boeing 737 Max, which departed from Columbus, Ohio, on July 14, was about 3 miles (5 km) from Tampa International Airport when it descended to about 175 feet (53 m), according to Flightradar24 data. An air traffic controller alerted the crew of Southwest Flight 425 to their low altitude and the plane was diverted to Fort Lauderdale.
Southwest Airlines said Saturday it was in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration “to understand and address any irregularities” after the July 14 flight. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the company added.
It was the latest in a series of Southwest flights that have raised safety concerns, including a Southwest 737 in April that came within about 400 feet (122 meters) of the ocean off Hawaii after the first officer inadvertently pushed forward the control column and the plane reached a maximum descent rate of about 4,400 feet per minute.
The FAA is also investigating another incident involving a Southwest Airlines plane flying at an extremely low altitude about 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) from the Oklahoma City airport. The Southwest Airlines plane, which had departed Las Vegas on June 19, descended to about 500 feet. After the alarm went off, an air traffic controller alerted the flight crew.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are also investigating a May 25 incident involving a Southwest Airlines 737 Max that experienced a “Dutch roll” at 34,000 feet while en route from Phoenix, Arizona, to Oakland, California. Such asymmetrical sideways movements are named after a Dutch snowboarding technique and can pose serious safety risks.
The FAA is also investigating a Southwest flight on June 25 that departed from a closed runway in Portland, Maine.