FAA has launched an investigation into the incident
Incident involves Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft
Plane flew just 150 feet above ground before landing in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport instead of Tampa International Airport
Southwest Airlines flight from Columbus, Ohio to Tampa, Florida came dangerously close to disaster
In a concerning incident, a Southwest Airlines flight from Columbus, Ohio to Tampa, Florida came alarmingly close to disaster as it flew just 150 feet above the ground while it was still nearly five miles from Tampa International Airport. The flight ended up bypassing Tampa and landing in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. This is the third reported case of a Southwest flight flying at what appears to be a dangerously low altitude this year, raising serious questions about the airline's safety procedures. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The weather at the time was poor, with thunderstorms in the area, which may have played a role in the incident. Southwest Airlines has emphasized that nothing is more important to them than the safety of their customers and employees and are cooperating fully with the FAA's investigation.
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX descended rapidly on July 14, plunging more than 1,500 feet in just over a minute and coming within 150 feet of the surface of Tampa Bay.
The incident occurred while the plane was still miles away from Tampa International Airport.
At that point, the plane should have been more than 1,000 feet above the surface but instead was flying at about the height of a 15-story building.
An air traffic control operator alerted the pilots to the plane’s low altitude, and it quickly ascended about 1,000 feet.
Robert Katz, a veteran commercial pilot, said that flying that close to the surface could have resulted in wind shear swatting the airplane into Tampa Bay.
Accuracy
The pilots did not appear to be monitoring the plane’s descent and should have been aware they were flying at a dangerous height without being alerted by the controller.
Ben Schlappig speculated that the pilots may have mistakenly identified a long, straight stretch of road as a runway and descended with the intent to land.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports incidents of Southwest flights descending at low altitudes without providing context or explanation for why this might be happening. The author also makes a speculative statement about the pilots possibly mistaking a causeway for a runway, which is not supported by any evidence in the article.
Brandon Kingdollar is a reporter covering breaking news, criminal justice and the environment. He can be reached at bkingdollar@tampabay.com.
The flight followed a similar incident last month in Oklahoma City in which a Southwest jet flew at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport.
Southwest Airlines flight 425 from Columbus, Ohio to Tampa, Florida flew as low as 150 feet above the ground while it was still nearly five miles from Tampa International Airport.
This incident follows two other low altitude incidents involving Southwest flights this year: on June 19, Southwest flight 4069 descended to just 525 feet above the ground nine miles from its approach to Oklahoma City, and on April 11, Southwest flight 2786 flew just 400 feet above the ocean off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Accuracy
Southwest flight flew just 150 feet above the ground while it was still nearly five miles from Tampa International Airport.
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX descended rapidly and came within 150 feet of the surface of Tampa Bay.
Southwest Airlines Flight 425 had a dangerous descent too far from the runway at Tampa International Airport on July 14, 2024, flying only 150 feet above the Courtney Campbell Causeway during the descent.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The authors do not commit any explicit logical fallacies in the article. However, they do make inflammatory statements by describing the altitude of the Southwest flights as 'dangerously low' and 'signs of how far off Flight 425 was from where it likely should have been'. These statements are subjective and do not provide any evidence or reasoning to support their claims.
]Southwest flight flew as low as 150 feet from the ground[
']dangerously low altitude[', 'signs of how far off Flight 425 was from where it likely should have been']
Southwest Airlines Flight 425 had a dangerous descent too far from the runway at Tampa International Airport on July 14, 2024.
The plane flew only 150 feet above the Courtney Campbell Causeway during the descent.
Retired pilot Kent Davis believes it was likely pilot error and emphasizes importance of crew communication and proper descent procedures in bad weather conditions.
Accuracy
This is the third incident Southwest has had with dangerously low descents recently, including incidents in Oklahoma and New York's LaGuardia.
Deception
(30%)
The article makes several statements that are not deceptive on their own but when taken together they create an impression that may be misleading. The author states 'It's hard to believe' implying disbelief and shock about the incident, which is a form of emotional manipulation. The author also uses the phrase 'close call' which is sensationalist language. Additionally, the article selectively reports details about the incident by only mentioning Southwest Airlines having three incidents of dangerously low descents recently without providing context or information on other airlines having similar incidents. This creates an impression that Southwest Airlines has a higher rate of such incidents than other airlines which is not factually accurate.
It's hard to believe
experienced pilots say the plane should have been at least 1,000 feet higher
close call for Southwest Airlines flight
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The author, Evyn Moon, expresses disbelief and implies that the pilots were inexperienced or made an error by stating 'it's really-- it’s hard to believe' and 'They either started their descent at the wrong point and descended thinking that they were on the proper descent rate to the runway, or something may have malfunctioned.'
it's really-- it’s hard to believe
They either started their descent at the wrong point and descended thinking that they were on the proper descent rate to the runway, or something may have malfunctioned.
Southwest Airlines flight under investigation for flying at dangerously low altitude off the coast of Florida
Incident is third in past four months for Southwest Airlines
FAA launching investigation into incident involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft
Accuracy
The incident occurred while the plane was still miles away from Tampa International Airport.
The plane experienced stormy weather with light rain and gusts of up to 20 mph.
Southwest flight 425 had a dangerous descent too far from the runway at Tampa International Airport.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The author provides factual information about three incidents involving Southwest Airlines planes flying at low altitudes. There are no explicit logical fallacies in the text. However, there is an appeal to authority with the mention of the Federal Aviation Administration's investigation into these incidents.
Another Southwest Airlines flight is under investigation for flying at dangerously low altitudes, this time on approach to Tampa, Fla., dropping to within 150 feet of the water off the coast before increasing thrust, regaining altitude and diverting to Fort Lauderdale, according to flight tracking data.
Southwest is following its robust Safety Management System and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and address any irregularities.
