Safety Regulators Are Investigating Another Low Flight by Southwest Jet, This Time in Florida

Published on July 23, 2024

WASHINGTON—Federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew as low as 150 feet (45 meters) over water while it was still about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from its intended landing spot at the airport in Tampa, Florida. The pilots skipped over the Tampa airport and landed instead at Fort Lauderdale, 200 miles (320 kilometers) away. The July 14 flight followed a similar incident last month in Oklahoma City in which a Southwest jet flew at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it is investigating the incident. Southwest flight 425, which took off from Columbus, Ohio, reached its low point as it flew over Old Tampa Bay near the Courtney Campbell Causeway, according to Flightradar24. Three previous Southwest flights to Tampa passed the same point at about 1,225 feet (375 meters) in altitude, the flight-tracking service said....