Passengers got the unexpected “roller coaster” experience on a Southwest Airlines flight departing from Southern California after a fighter jet got too close for comfort.
Southwest Flight 1496 Makes Sudden Drop After Alerts in Burbank Airspace, Sending Passengers Flying Out Of Seats
Southwest Flight 1496 from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Las Vegas (LAS) encountered a rare mid‑air emergency just minutes after departure on Friday, July 25, 2025. About six minutes into the climb at approximately 14,100 feet, the Boeing 737-700 sharply descended nearly 475 feet (dropping to around 13,625 feet) to respond to traffic alerts that warned of a nearby aircraft.
What Happened
- According to onboard collision‐avoidance systems, another aircraft, identified via flight tracking data as a Hawker Hunter Mk 58 fighter jet, crossed roughly four miles ahead and about 350 feet above the Southwest jet
- The crew first climbed, then executed a rapid descent to comply with the alert guidance
- Cabin turbulence from the descent caused passengers to be jostled, with multiple people reportedly lifted from their seats and hitting the ceiling, despite being buckled in
- No passengers were injured, but two flight attendants sustained injuries during the incident
Passenger Accounts
Comedian Jimmy Dore, who was on board, posted on X:
“Pilot said his collision warning went off and he needed to avoid plane coming at us. Myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling.”
Passenger Stef Zamorano described the moment:
“She wasn’t wearing her seat belt [and] shot up and out of her seat… the woman across the aisle was panicking. ‘I want to get off this plane.'”
One passenger said it felt like the plane dropped “thousands” of feet. Another passenger estimated the descent felt like 20 to 30 feet before entering a longer freefall, prompting screams and panic in the cabin.
Southwest Airlines Responds
Shortly after the incident, Southwest Airlines released the following statement:
“Southwest Flight 1496 from Burbank to Las Vegas arrived safely on Wednesday after the flight crew manually maneuvered the aircraft in response to a traffic alert shortly after departure. Two Flight Attendants received medical attention and were released from the hospital Wednesday evening. Our immediate concern is for those affected, and we have been in contact with our Crew to offer our full support and resources. The Safety of our Customers and Employees is the number one priority at Southwest Airlines. We have shared the flight’s data with the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the event.”
The FAA said it is in “contact with Southwest Airlines and we are investigating. Ensuring the safety of everyone in the national airspace system remains our top priority.”
Were Passengers Ever In Danger?
It’s unusual, but certainly reassuring, that the Southwest pilots promptly executed collision-avoidance protocols triggered by onboard systems, something standard on all commercial jets in the USA. The incident highlights the importance of Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) as critical safety technology.
The proximity to the Hawker Hunter jet raises operational questions. FAA investigations will focus on how close the aircraft came and whether airspace coordination needs improvement. It appears the two aircraft would not have come into collision even if no evasive measures had been taken, but the two aircraft were still too close for comfort.
The biggest takeaway is that the multiple layers of safety worked, a collision was avoided, and everyone is going to be okay…even the two injured flight attendants.
CONCLUSION
Southwest Flight 1496’s rapid descent may have been terrifying for those aboard, but it underscores aviation’s built-in safety hierarchy: electronic alerts lead to trained crew responses, just as intended. While crew injuries are unfortunate, no passengers were harmed, and the flight landed safely in Las Vegas. The investigation underway should provide additional context, but the event illustrates that today’s aviation systems, when used correctly, still protect us. Considering I’m flying the same route on the same carrier in a few days, I’m quite thankful for TCAS!
“…with multiple people reportedly lifted from their seats and hitting the ceiling, despite being buckled in”
How is that even possible?!?
VFTW explained, “Seatbelts are designed primarily to restrain passengers from forward and lateral movements—not specifically vertical upward movement.” If seatbelt wasn’t tight, up you go.
The biggest question is….
How the hell are there privately owned fighter jets out there?
Where did you learn the fj was ‘privately owned’?
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/07/25/us/southwest-fighter-jet-close-call
Always have been and there’s a lot of them. Former Chrysler and GM executive Bob Lutz famously flew a Czechoslovak Aero L-39 Albatros fighter jet as his “daily driver”.
Terminal and most Center environments allow 3 mile lateral separation below 23,000 feet. If they were 4 miles as you mention, this is even beyond standard separation assuming they could use 3 miles in that area.
Southwest’s statement makes no sense.
Shortly after the incident, Southwest Airlines released the following statement:
“Southwest Flight 1496 from Burbank to Las Vegas arrived safely on Wednesday after the flight crew manually maneuvered the aircraft in response to a traffic alert shortly after departure. Two Flight Attendants received medical attention and were released from the hospital Wednesday evening.
I was on this flight. This occurred on FRIDAY, JULY 25TH, not Wednesday.
Hi Janet, can you describe what it felt like onboard?