Passengers Rattled, 2 Crew Injured After Southwest Plane Descends Minutes Into Flight

Minutes aft takeoff Friday, a Southwest formation leaving Burbank, California, descended aft 2 onboard alerts, injuring 2 formation attendants and frightening passengers, nan hose and group connected committee said.

Southwest did not supply further specifications astir nan alerts.

“The Crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to 2 onboard postulation alerts Friday day while climbing retired of Burbank, Cal., requiring them to climb and descend to comply pinch nan alerts,” Southwest said successful a statement.

Passengers said they were shaken by nan incident, and 1 said he thought nan level was going to crash.

“Pilot had to dive aggressively to debar midair collision complete Burbank airport,” comedian Jimmy Dore said connected X. “Myself & Plenty of group flew retired of their seats & bumped heads connected ceiling, a formation attendant needed aesculapian attention.”

Passenger Steve Ulasewicz told NBC Los Angeles that nan incident happened astir 8 minutes into nan formation and passengers felt “a important driblet for astir 2 seconds,” which he attributed to turbulence.

“Then possibly for illustration 3 seconds aft that nan level was successful a freefall” for astir 8 to 10 seconds, he told nan position by phone. "People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought nan level was going down."

The Las Vegas-bound level landed astatine its destination without incident, Southwest Airlines said.

“No injuries were instantly reported by Customers, but 2 Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries,” Southwest said.

A spokesperson for Harry Reid International Airport successful Las Vegas said that aesculapian unit responded to nan gross and 1 injured personification was transported.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was alert of an incident.

"The FAA is successful interaction pinch Southwest Airlines and we are investigating," nan agency said. "Ensuring nan information of everyone successful nan nationalist airspace strategy remains our apical priority."