Southwest Airlines Flight Drops 500 Feet Mid-Air to Dodge Fighter Jet Near Burbank, 2 Crew Injured; FAA Launches Investigation

A Southwest Airlines flight departing Hollywood Burbank Airport triggered mid-air panic on Friday after it was forced to make a sharp evasive maneuver to avoid a potential collision with a military aircraft. Flight 1496, en route to Las Vegas, descended nearly 500 feet shortly after takeoff when pilots received two cockpit alerts about dangerously close aircraft traffic. The other aircraft was later identified as a British-built Hawker Hunter fighter jet that crossed in front of the Boeing 737. According to flight tracking data, the planes came within 4.86 miles laterally and just 350 feet vertically—an alarming proximity that prompted an immediate response. Two Southwest flight attendants were injured during the maneuver and treated, while no passenger injuries were reported, though many onboard panicked during the drop. The FAA is investigating the incident, marking the second such near miss in US airspace in a week and the fourth involving military aircraft since March. Alaska Airlines Plane Hits Multiple Deer While Landing at Kodiak Airport; FAA Launches Probe As Shocking Runway Collision Video Surfaces.

Southwest Airlines Plane Drops 500 Feet to Avoid Fighter Plane

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