Southwest Airlines Plunge: Pilot Error Nearly Causes Jet to Crash into Pacific Ocean

Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii United States of America
Captain regained control and prevented disaster, no injuries reported among passengers or crew members
FAA investigating possible malfunction in backup power-control unit on another Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 jet
Incident occurred during landing attempt due to poor visibility
Less-experienced first officer inadvertently caused sudden descent with control column
Plane came within 400 feet of crashing into Pacific Ocean off Kauai coast
Southwest Airlines flight experienced sudden descent on April 11, 2024
Southwest Airlines Plunge: Pilot Error Nearly Causes Jet to Crash into Pacific Ocean

On April 11, 2024, a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Lihue airport on the Hawaiian island of Kauai experienced a sudden and unexpected descent. According to multiple sources, including CBS News and HawaiiNewsNow, the plane came within just 400 feet of falling into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kauai.

The incident occurred during an attempt to land at Lihue airport when weather conditions made it difficult for the pilots to see the runway. Retired pilot Patrick McNamee analyzed flight data and explained that due to poor visibility, pilots were forced to abort their landing and go around instead. However, a less-experienced first officer inadvertently pushed the control column forward, causing an alarming drop in altitude.

The sudden descent triggered cockpit alarms and caused a significant scare for passengers on board. The captain quickly regained control of the aircraft and initiated an aggressive climb to avoid disaster. Despite this harrowing experience, there were no reported injuries among the passengers or crew members.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident, with multiple sources reporting that they are looking into a possible malfunction in the backup power-control unit on another Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 jet. The FAA has not yet released an official statement regarding their findings.

This event serves as a reminder of the importance of pilot experience and situational awareness, especially during challenging landing conditions. It also highlights the need for continuous improvement in aviation safety systems to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.


Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image

Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if there were any other factors contributing to the first officer's error.
  • The FAA has not yet released an official statement regarding their findings on the possible malfunction in the backup power-control unit.

Sources

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

FAA investigating Southwest flight that came within 400 feet of crashing into the ocean

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Gregory Wallace, Saturday, 15 June 2024 16:28
  • Unique Points
    • Southwest Airlines Flight 2786 came within 400 feet of crashing into the ocean off the coast of a Hawaiian island on April 11, 2023.
    • The incident involved a newer first officer who inadvertently pushed forward on the control column.
  • Accuracy
    • Flight tracking data shows the plane dropped at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while only 600 feet above sea level.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

FAA investigating after Southwest Airlines flight quickly drops to within 400 feet of ocean

AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO) News Phoenix Arizona Jolanie Martinez, Saturday, 15 June 2024 22:13
  • Unique Points
    • less-experienced first officer caused sudden drop by pushing control column forward and cutting speed
    • FAA is investigating a Southwest Airlines flight that dropped within 400 feet of the ocean
    • incident occurred during inter-island hop from Honolulu to Lihue airports in Hawaii
  • Accuracy
    • The incident occurred during inter-island hop from Honolulu to Lihue airports in Hawaii.
    • The less-experienced first officer caused sudden drop by pushing control column forward and cutting speed.
    • Plane dropped at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute according to flight tracking data.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

88%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Southwest Airlines flight to Hawaiian island plunges, comes within 400 feet of Pacific Ocean: Report

Entertainment Variety Tv Site: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv-site/ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Saturday, 15 June 2024 23:38
  • Unique Points
    • Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft came within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kauai
    • Incident occurred following an aborted landing attempt due to bad weather that blocked pilots from seeing the runway at specified altitude
    • Less-experienced first officer inadvertently pushed forward on control column, causing rapid descent
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (70%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only mentions the incident with Southwest Airlines and does not mention any similar incidents with other airlines. It also uses sensational language in the title and body of the article to grab readers' attention. The author implies that the less-experienced first officer caused the incident, but it is not clear if this is a fact or an assumption.
    • The less-experienced first officer inadvertently pushed forward on the control column, which controls the plane’s pitch and roll, then cut the speed, causing the airplane to rapidly descend.
    • The Southwest Airlines memo obtained by Bloomberg News detailed Southwest Flight 2786 from the April 11 flight from Honolulu International Airport to Lihue Airport in Kauai.
    • The incident is reminiscent of the United Airlines Boeing 777 plunge incident which occurred off Maui in 2022.
    • Passengers were left white-knuckled after the aircraft dropped from nearly 16,000 feet to an altitude of 409 feet.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. The author uses sensationalist language such as 'hair-raising ride' to describe the incident, which is an inflammatory rhetoric fallacy. Additionally, the author references a past United Airlines incident for comparison, implying that this event is similar in severity and indicating a potential appeal to authority fallacy. However, no direct quotes from experts or authorities are provided.
    • The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Southwest under investigation after Hawaii flight quickly drops within 400 feet of ocean

Hawaii News Now Jolanie Martinez Saturday, 15 June 2024 18:07
  • Unique Points
    • Retired pilot Patrick McNamee analyzed the flight map and explained that weather conditions made it difficult for the plane to land safely on Kauai.
    • The less-experienced first officer inadvertently pushed the control column forward, causing cockpit alarms to go off before the captain ordered an aggressive climb.
  • Accuracy
    • FAA is investigating a Southwest aircraft that suddenly descended 4,000 feet in one minute and came within 400 feet of the ocean.
    • , Southwest Airlines Flight 2786 came within 400 feet of crashing into the ocean
    • The less-experienced first officer caused sudden drop by pushing control column forward,
    • Flight tracking data shows the plane dropped at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while only 600 feet above sea level.
    • Incident occurred following an aborted landing attempt due to bad weather that blocked pilots from seeing the runway at specified altitude
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

FAA investigating Southwest flight that dropped within a few hundred feet over the ocean in Hawaii

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Kris Van Saturday, 15 June 2024 23:40
  • Unique Points
    • FAA is investigating Southwest flight 2786 that plunged within several hundred feet of the ocean off Hawaii on April 11, 2024.
    • The plane came within 400 feet of falling into the ocean and dropped at more than 4,000 feet per minute before being pulled up by the flight crew.
    • There were no injuries on board.
  • Accuracy
    • Southwest Airlines Flight 2786 came within 400 feet of crashing into the ocean off the coast of a Hawaiian island on April 11, 2023.
    • The incident involved a newer first officer who inadvertently pushed forward on the control column.
    • Flight tracking data shows the plane dropped at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while only 600 feet above sea level.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains no explicit logical fallacies. The author is reporting on facts and events as they have been reported by various sources. The author does make an appeal to authority by citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Bloomberg News as sources for information.
    • The FAA is investigating a Southwest Airlines passenger flight that plunged within several hundred feet of the ocean off Hawaii in April.
    • Citing a memo that Southwest distributed to pilots last week, it reported the plane came within 400 feet of falling into the ocean.
    • Federal officials said they were investigating an unusual rolling motion on another Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 that might have been caused by a damaged backup power-control unit.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication