The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Southwest Airlines flight came within 400 feet of the ocean following an aborted landing attempt.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 dived at a maximum descent rate of about 4,400 feet per minute off the coast of Hawaii before returning to safety on April 11.
The plane was flying between cities from Honolulu to Lihue Airport on Kauai, but poor weather conditions led the pilots to avoid a landing attempt.
During the go-around — when a plane flies back into the air after deciding not to land — the first officer “inadvertently pushed forward on the control column while following the movement of the thrust lever commanded by the autothrottle,” according to a memo sent to pilots and seen by the Reuters news agency.
The action left the aircraft dangerously close to hitting the Pacific Ocean.
Safety data confirmed that the crew received an oral “DO NOT SINK” warning followed by a “PULL UP oral warning,” the memo said, but the first officer later said the crew did not listen to the warnings.
There were no reports of injuries.
The Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 suffered damage to its infrastructure after experiencing what is known as “Dutch roll” during a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California, on May 25.
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A “Dutch roll” refers to a combination of the aircraft’s tail swinging from side to side (yaw) and the plane rocking in a way that causes the wings to rise and fall.
The pilots regained control and landed safely, but damage to the unit that controls the rudder’s reserve power was described as “substantial.” The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
‘Emotional event’
In a post-incident report on the flight to Hawaii, the pilots reportedly said that seeing the severity of the flight’s movements through an animated recreation “was a significant and emotional event,” the Southwest memo said.
The memo adds that the crew participated in comprehensive corrective actions and that the airline is reviewing data and trends related to its procedures, training, standards and performance.
Southwest said in a statement on June 14 that “the event was approached appropriately as we always strive to continually improve.”
Elsewhere, a plane bound for Melbourne, Australia, landed in the New Zealand city of Invercargill after a fire shut down one of its engines.
The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet was met by fire engines when it landed, about 50 minutes after taking off. The airline said in an emailed statement that the incident may have involved “a possible bird strike.”
The Boeing 737-800s are the generation of 737s preceding the newer MAX, which have been plagued by a series of safety concerns, including an incident in which a piece of the fuselage fell off It is two accidents that stranded the fleet.
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