On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it was investigating a Southwest Airlines flight that triggered a low altitude alert during a 9-mile approach to Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport.
The incident occurred early Wednesday on a flight from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City. According to reports, the Southwest Boeing 737-800 was flying at an altitude of 525 feet above the ground while on a 9-mile approach to the airport. The low-altitude alert caught the attention of air traffic control.
“Southwest 4069, low altitude alert. You good out there?” asked the controller, according to audio from LiveATC.net. The pilots responded, indicating they were going around, and the aircraft landed safely.
In a statement, Southwest addressed the incident noting, “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees. Southwest is following its robust Safety Management System and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and address any irregularities with the aircraft’s approach to the airport.”
The incident marks the latest in a series of mishaps involving the carrier in recent months. Federal investigators are also looking into a May 25 flight in which a Southwest aircraft experienced a “dutch roll” at 34,000 feet, as well as a flight in April where a Southwest aircraft came within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean.
