A recent incident involving a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Lihue, Hawaii had a near-disastrous outcome as adverse weather conditions forced a sudden dive towards the ocean near Kauai. Fortunately, the skilled flight crew managed to regain control and divert back to Honolulu safely.
An internal memo from Southwest Airlines revealed that the aircraft came within 400 feet of the ocean surface as it rapidly descended, only to be pulled back up in the nick of time, averting a potential catastrophe with no reported injuries to passengers or crew.
This unnerving event was not isolated, as the Federal Government has initiated an investigation into another Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 incident involving abnormal rolling motion on a flight to Oakland from Phoenix. The authorities suspect it could be related to the backup power-control system.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are collaborating with Boeing to investigate the incidents while Southwest Airlines has assured full cooperation. The recent data suggests that during the Oakland incident, the plane was in a Dutch Roll at 34,000 feet, a concerning situation resembling a swaying movement like a Dutch ice-skater.
Recent tragedies involving the Boeing 737 Max, attributed to a flawed automated flight control system, led to a worldwide grounding of the aircraft. After extensive reviews, software enhancements, and improved training, the FAA cleared the 737 Max to resume flights by November 2020.
As the industry and public eagerly await more details on the Southwest Airlines incidents, the focus remains on understanding the causes and implementing measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
