The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating one more incident involving a Southwest Airways Boeing 737. This incident is very unusual, since circumstances had been good, so one has to surprise what precisely was happening with the pilots.
Southwest 737 pilots confused in Oklahoma Metropolis?
This incident includes Southwest Airways flight WN4069 from Las Vegas (LAS) to Oklahoma Metropolis (OKC), which departed on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The flight was operated by a six 12 months previous Boeing 737-800 with the license plate N8555Z.
The 986-mile flight was completely routine, till shortly earlier than touchdown (this was simply after 12AM, so at this level it was June 19). The plane was cleared for a visible method on runway 17R.
Nonetheless, whereas round 9 miles from the airport, the plane descended all the best way all the way down to round 500 toes above floor degree, within the fully fallacious route, whereas additionally touring at a really low pace.
Primarily based on air site visitors management audio, the pilots didn’t even understand what they had been doing till the air site visitors controller warned them, due to a low altitude alert within the tower:
Air site visitors controller: “Southwest 4069, low altitude alert, you good on the market?”
Southwest pilot: “Yeah, we’re going round, Southwest 4069.”
Air site visitors controller: “You need to go round and are available again for 13, or are you going to proceed your method?”
Southwest pilot: “Yeah, we’ll come again round for 17.”
Air site visitors controller: “Okay, 17R?”
Southwest pilot: “Yeah, we’ll try this.”
Oklahoma Metropolis Airport does certainly even have a runway 13, which is the route the pilots had been headed. Nonetheless, given their distance from the airport and altitude, it’s not even logical that they had been making an attempt to land on that runway.
To state the plain, it’s not regular for a 737 to be at an altitude of simply 500 toes, touring at 128 knots (in accordance with Flightradar24), 9 miles away from the airport, not even touring in the identical route because the runway they had been assigned to land on.
The aircraft ended up performing a go round, and landed safely on runway 17R a number of minutes later.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wn-okc.jpg)
This ended up being a giant story within the Oklahoma Metropolis suburb of Yukon, the place many residents had been woken up and startled to listen to such a giant aircraft at such a low altitude in the midst of the night time.
A Southwest spokesperson has issued the next assertion:
“Southwest is following its strong Security Administration System and is in touch with the Federal Aviation Administration to know and deal with any irregularities with the plane’s method to the airport. Nothing is extra necessary to Southwest than the protection of our prospects and staff.”
What on earth occurred right here?
I’m fascinated to see what the FAA finds with its investigation into this incident. Normally once we see one thing like this, it’s simple sufficient to instantly say “oh, I see how that might occur.” For instance, we not too long ago discovered of a terrifying Southwest 737 MAX incident in Hawaii, the place pilots had been battling terrible climate, and it’s simple to make sense of how one thing may go fallacious.
However on this case, you had clear skies and a visible method, but a jet descended all the way down to 500 toes above floor degree, not even touring in the proper route for the assigned runway. Worst of all, the pilots didn’t appear to comprehend what occurred till the air site visitors controller requested if every little thing was okay.
Presumably this incident falls into one in all two classes:
- The pilots didn’t understand they had been at such a low altitude and touring within the fallacious route
- The pilots did understand their altitude, pace, and route, and had been getting ready to land within the fallacious place
The latter situation appears more likely, for the reason that aircraft appeared to be in a touchdown configuration based mostly on the pace. And that raises the query… the place did the pilots suppose they had been touchdown? Did they mistake one of many roads or highways within the space for a runway, and had been getting ready to land there?
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wn-okc-1.jpg)
It’s attention-grabbing to notice that Wiley Submit Airport (PWA) is one other close by airport, which was nearer to the place they had been. It has runways with the identical orientation as Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), together with runway 13 and runway 17R. Whereas they had been considerably nearer to Wiley Submit Airport than Will Rogers World Airport, they had been already to the south of the previous airport when this occurred.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wn-okc-2.jpg)
Backside line
A Southwest Airways Boeing 737 had an “unconventional” method to Oklahoma Metropolis Airport. About 9 miles from the airport, the plane was at an altitude of 500 toes, touring at a really low pace, not even lined up with the anticipated arrival runway.
The air site visitors controller received a low altitude alert, and requested the Southwest pilots if every little thing was okay. At that time they initiated a go round.
This incident is now being investigated, and I’m curious to see what comes of this…
What do you make of this Southwest 737 incident in Oklahoma Metropolis?