FAA Probes Southwest Plane’s Alarming Low Altitude Over Oklahoma Town

6 months ago Editor

A Southwest Airlines flight dipped to just 525 feet above Yukon, Oklahoma, prompting an FAA investigation. The Boeing 737 was en route from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City when it startled residents with its low altitude.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a recent incident involving a Southwest Airlines flight that flew alarmingly close to the ground over a neighborhood in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, Southwest flight 4069, a Boeing 737 traveling from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City, descended to approximately 525 feet above Yukon, about nine miles from its destination, Will Rogers World Airport. The incident was captured by flight data from Flightradar24.com.

The sudden descent triggered a low-altitude alert from an air-traffic controller. In a recording from LiveATC.net, an air-traffic controller can be heard warning the pilot: “Southwest 4069, low-altitude alert. You good out there?”

The pilot responded, “Yeah, we’re going around, 4069.” The controller then instructed the pilot to ascend to 3,000 feet. The plane eventually landed safely at the airport, with no injuries reported.

Despite the safe landing, the low descent startled several residents. Spencer Basoco, who lives near Yukon High School, reported hearing a loud noise that sounded like a “wall of wind” and seeing the plane just blocks away from his home.

In a local Facebook group, another resident shared their experience: “It woke me up and I thought it was gonna hit my house,” highlighting the alarm felt by many.

The FAA confirmed that an automated warning had sounded and an air-traffic controller alerted the crew about the aircraft’s low altitude. The agency is now investigating the incident.

Southwest Airlines stated, “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. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”

This incident follows other recent investigations involving Southwest. In April, the FAA looked into a flight that descended rapidly off the coast of Hawaii, and in May, another Boeing 737 suffered structural damage after experiencing a “Dutch roll” during a flight from Phoenix to Oakland.