A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to nosedive midair Friday to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft just minutes after departing Hollywood Burbank Airport in California en route to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Two flight attendants were injured, and passengers reported being thrown from their seats as the aircraft made a rapid descent of 475 feet to avoid a Hawker Hunter military-style jet flying nearby.
Incident Captured on Flight Tracker
According to flight tracking data, Southwest Flight 1496 dropped from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet just six minutes after takeoff.
“The other plane, a Hawker Hunter with tail number N335AX, was flying at approximately 14,653 feet when the Southwest flight began to descend,” ABC News reported.
Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident, stating that two crew members were being treated for injuries sustained during the sudden maneuver.
A Southwest flight rapidly descended 475 feet to avoid another plane on Friday, according to flight tracking data and passengers on the plane.https://t.co/lZ61zIbeCS pic.twitter.com/gAemAJlRBE
— ABC News (@ABC) July 25, 2025
Passengers Describe Terrifying Drop
Passengers say they felt a sharp drop — one likened the experience to Disneyland’s “Tower of Terror” ride.
“About 10 minutes into the flight, we plummeted pretty far… within two seconds, it felt like the ride Tower of Terror,” a passenger told Fox News.
“We really thought we were plummeting into a plane crash.”
Another passenger said the pilot later announced over the intercom that the nosedive was an emergency maneuver to “avoid a midair collision.”
NEW: Southwest pilot forced to nosedive to avoid a midair collision after takeoff from Burbank to Las Vegas.
Passengers were reportedly launched out of their seats into the ceiling, with passengers comparing the incident to the ‘Tower of Terror’ ride.
“About 10 minutes into the… pic.twitter.com/8QQKoDslP3
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 25, 2025
FAA Investigation Underway
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to launch a formal investigation into the near-collision.
It is not yet clear whether air traffic control or pilot error played a role, or whether the Hawker Hunter was operating within its assigned airspace.
