July 26th, 2024

Pilots said nothing as Southwest plane flew dangerously low over Tampa Bay

On July 14, a Southwest Airlines flight descended dangerously low near Tampa Bay, alarming passengers. The FAA is investigating the incident, which raises concerns about pilot fatigue and safety practices.

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Pilots said nothing as Southwest plane flew dangerously low over Tampa Bay

On July 14, a Southwest Airlines flight experienced a dangerous incident while approaching Tampa Bay, where it descended to just 150 feet above the water, alarming passengers. Amy Giannotti, a passenger on the flight, reported a sudden jolt upward after the plane had been flying low, with no communication from the pilots during the descent. Aviation experts described the situation as a "near-fatal" incident, noting that the aircraft was over 1,000 feet below the FAA's designated flight path. The pilots only informed passengers of a change in course after regaining altitude, stating they would reroute to Fort Lauderdale due to fuel issues, which raised questions about their decision-making. Certified flight instructor Robert Katz suggested that pilot fatigue might have contributed to the incident, as the flight was the crew's fourth of the day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident, which is part of a broader review of safety practices at Southwest Airlines following several near-misses. Giannotti expressed concern about her future flights with Southwest, feeling unsettled by the lack of communication and the close call. The airline has since sent her a $100 voucher but has not provided clear answers regarding the incident. The FAA's investigation will likely focus on crew rest periods and operational pressures that may compromise safety.

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Link Icon 11 comments
By @JohnMakin - 5 months
I am not a commercial airline pilot but it is a topic of fascination for me for a long time - wouldn't this cause a terrain warning? How were the pilots unaware until ATC told them? Something very strange about this story - I guess fatigue makes sense, but that doesn't explain rerouting to fort lauderdale very well to me.

I'll toss out a theory - there has been a pilot shortage for the last several years. Are corners getting cut on pilot training? Incompetence explains a lot. This is a really baffling incident to me on its face and reading some takes from aviation experts it seems like I am not the only one that thinks so.

By @exogeny - 5 months
As noted in the article, nothing about their explanation makes sense.

Fort Lauderdale is over 260 miles from Tampa. How in the world is that closer than trying to turn around and land in Tampa?

Between stories like this and the ones about runway incursions, it does sometimes feel like our system is beyond the breaking point and that we're on the precipice of a disaster. On the other hand, I can't remember the last time there actually was one and it's very possible that the fact that we only hear about when things go wrong is coloring my perception.

By @ryandrake - 5 months
ATC recording of the incident made it to VASAviation three days ago[1].

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDl5xYidtQQ

By @ja27 - 5 months
The flight path looks like they were approaching for the east-west runway which is pretty rarely used at Tampa so that might have caused some confusion but that's what instruments and ATC are for.

If they had to divert, St. Pete Clearwater is right there and big. They probably flew right over it. Orlando and Sarasota are also much closer than Ft. Lauderdale. Maybe they didn't want St. Pete/Clearwater or Sarasota because of weather or Southwest doesn't use them, but Orlando gets plenty of Southwest traffic.

By @p_l - 5 months
https://avherald.com/h?article=51b5f8ed&opt=1

For a more detailed description of the event

By @appplication - 5 months
There was another incident recently I recall where the pilots accidentally descended too fast and were seconds from crashing. I can’t recall specifics, but I’m surprised that wasn’t also mentioned in the article.
By @nickburns - 5 months
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. This is your, uh, captain (obvious) speaking. It, uh, couldn't be any clearer here, based on all the circumstances, that, uh—these pilots truly believed they had the runway in sight when it was, in fact, the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
By @NBJack - 5 months
I can only speculate, but I hope one of the things we get out of an analysis of the Crowdstrike incident is a thorough analysis of the consequences. Airports just a few days ago were packed with passengers, delayed planes, misplaced luggage, and general chaos in scheduling. I imagine flight crews were impacted just as much, if not more, even if their own airline wasn't directly involved.