Passengers on the Southwest Airlines jet explained the uneasy drop on a flight to Las Vegas that injured two flight attendants on Friday.
Southwest Airlines flight No. 1496 departed from Burbank to Las Vegas just before noon. The plane landed safely in Las Vegas.
A social media post from people on the plane explained the aircraft to enter “dive” minutes after taking off from San Fernando Valley Airport for a short flight to Las Vegas.
Passenger Steve Ulasewicz told NBCLA that the plane suddenly soaked for about 8 to 10 seconds about eight minutes after the flight. He said passengers were screaming during the drop before the plane leveled out.
Once the flight was smoothed, Ulasewicz, who was traveling to Las Vegas, said the pilot made an announcement indicating that the plane had used software to avoid airborne collisions.
“I felt a significant drop,” Ulasewicz said. “The plane was just free falls. It was a mess.”
A jarring drop occurred about a minute after the crew announced that drink service was about to begin, according to Woodland Hills residents.
Hani Mahmassani, a professor of transportation and engineering at Northwestern University, is addressing concerns about flying following a series of aviation disasters across the country.
A spokesman for Hollywood Burbank Airport said NBCLA officials “we are considering the incident, but there is currently no evidence that it occurred within the airspace above the airport.”
Southwest Airlines said it responded to an on-board air traffic warning after its crew left Burbank. The airline said two flight attendants were treated for the injury.
“The crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two onboard traffic alerts while climbing from Burbank on Friday afternoon, demanding that they climb and descent to comply with the alert,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement. “The flight continued into Las Vegas, where we landed peacefully.
“Southwest is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the situation. No injuries were reported immediately by customers, but two flight attendants are being treated for the injury. We appreciate the professionalism of the flight attendants and flight attendants in responding to this event. There is nothing more important to the Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
NBCLA has contacted the FAA for further details.
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