The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident involving a Southwest Airlines flight that triggered a low-altitude alert while preparing to land in Oklahoma City.
On June 18, 2024, Southwest Flight 4069, operated by the Boeing 737-800 registration N8555Z, was en route from Las Vegas (LAS) to Oklahoma City (OKC).
At around 12:05 a.m. local time, it received an automated warning about its altitude while still approximately 14 kilometers (nine miles) from Will Rogers World Airport.
Flight tracking data indicated that the Boeing 737 descended to approximately 525 feet (160 meters) above ground level as it passed over the suburbs of Oklahoma City.
***CLOSE CALL WITH AIRLINER OVER OKC SUBURB***
— Spencer Humphrey (@SHumphreyTV) June 21, 2024
Tonight, we've confirmed the FAA is investigating why the @SouthwestAir jet, seen in this video obtained by News 4, flew within 500 feet of the ground while passing over the OKC suburb of Yukon early Wednesday.
THREAD ⬇️ @kfor pic.twitter.com/Kag2TdP7vq
An air traffic controller promptly notified the flight crew of the low-altitude alert. The pilots responded by initiating a go-around procedure. The controller instructed the aircraft to maintain a height of 3,000 feet (915 meters).
The interaction between a pilot and ATC, captured by LiveATC.net.
Southwest Airlines confirmed that the flight landed safely shortly after midnight. The airline has reported that it will be cooperating with the FAA on a thorough investigation of the incident.