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    Human Interest Commentary

    Southwest Airlines Flight in Hawaii Plunges Within 400 Feet of Ocean

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    Recently, a Southwest Airlines flight to a Hawaiian Island had a scare when the Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane quickly lost altitude, coming within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean.  According to reports, the plane was forced to change course due to challenging weather conditions off the coast of Kauai.

    A memo released by the airline explained that the incident occurred after an aborted landing due to the bad weather which prevented the pilots from seeing the runway.  Subsequently, a less-experienced first officer “inadvertently,” pushed forward on the control column which caused the plane to plunge from around 16,000 feet in elevation.

    After the “newer” first officer’s mistake, the plane’s warning system engaged, alerting the crew that the aircraft was becoming dangerously close to the water.  Per the Southwest memo, the aircraft then began to “climb aggressively” at 8,500 feet per minute.

    The flight between the Hawaiian islands should have only taken 22 minutes to complete after departing Honolulu at approximately 6:45 p.m.  However, the incident forced the plane to return to Honolulu, landing at 8:09 p.m.

    Following the incident, Southwest Airlines released a statement expressing that safety is the number one priority for its customers.  “Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety,” according to the statement.  “Through our robust Safety Management System, the event was addressed appropriately as we always strive for continuous improvement.”  Furthermore, the Federal Aviation Administration noted that it is “investigating the incident.”

    The incident is reminiscent of a United Airlines flight in December 2022 that departed from a Hawaii airport that also plunged toward the ocean following an encounter with bad weather, where the plane came within less than 800 feet of the water.  According to the NTSB, pilots had miscommunicated about the aircraft’s flap settings.

    “After landing at SFO, the pilots filed the appropriate safety report,” according to a United Airlines spokesperson.  “United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA [Air Line Pilots Association] on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training. Safety remains our highest priority.”

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    In recent years, safety concerns surrounding the aviation industry have seemingly plagued headlines.  Earlier this year, The American Tribune reported on Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, who was set to step down from his position in the company amid the perpetual controversy it has been involved in.
    Boeing has found itself at the center of quality control concerns where several whistleblowers have spoken out against the company’s management practices that could be compromising the integrity of its products.  “My decision to step down as CEO at the end of this year is one the board has been prepared for and will result in a number of changes at a management and governance level moving forward,” Calhoun wrote to employees in an internal memo.
    “As we begin this period of transition, I want to assure you, we will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do,” he concluded in the memo.