A Boeing 737 Max 8 narrowly avoided disaster off Kauai, Hawaii, when bad weather forced a drastic course change, bringing the plane within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean.
In a flight memo obtained by Bloomberg News, it was confirmed that Southwest Flight 2786 departed Honolulu International Airport for Lihue Airport in Kauai on April 11.
The plane plunged nearly 16,000 feet to a height of 409 feet after an aborted landing attempt due to stormy weather.
The Southwest memo revealed that the close call resulted from a failed landing attempt on Kauai due to poor visibility that prevented the pilots from seeing the runway at their descent altitude.
The memo also noted that despite the bad weather, the captain insisted that the “newer” first officer take command of the 100-mile flight between the islands.
A Boeing 737 Max 8 narrowly avoided disaster off Kauai, Hawaii, when bad weather forced a drastic course change, bringing the plane within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean.
In a flight memo obtained by Bloomberg News, it was confirmed that Southwest Flight 2786 departed Honolulu International Airport for Lihue Airport in Kauai on April 11.
With fewer miles under his belt, the less experienced first officer made a critical error and accidentally pushed the controls forward, throwing the aircraft off balance and causing a rapid descent after speed was reduced.
The warning system sounded due to the pilot’s sudden movement, warning him that the aircraft was getting too close to the ground.
According to the memo, the captain instructed the first officer to increase engine power, forcing the plane into a steep climb of 8,500 feet per minute.
Although the journey between the islands should have taken only 22 minutes, the flight took almost an hour and a half to land. The flight took off at 6:45 PM and landed at 8:09 PM.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Southwest Airlines wrote: “Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety. The event was handled appropriately through our robust safety management system, as we always strive for continuous improvement.’
The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the situation.