- A Southwest Airlines plane descended to just 525 feet above the ground on Wednesday.
- The accident prompted an altitude warning and an investigation by the FAA.
- In April, a Southwest Airlines plane flew dangerously low off the coast of Hawaii.
A Southwest Airlines plane flew dangerously low over an Oklahoma town on Wednesday while preparing to land.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced this week that it is investigating the crash that saw Southwest Airlines Flight 4069 descend to just 525 feet above the ground.
“After an automated alarm sounded, air traffic controllers alerted the crew of Southwest Flight 4069 that the aircraft had descended to a low altitude nine miles from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City,” the FAA said in a statement.
The FAA did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Flight radar data shows the plane was flying over Oklahoma’s Yukon Territory when an alarm sounded because it was too high altitude, and the accident happened just after midnight on Wednesday.
According to CNN, airport controllers issued an altitude warning to the captain and asked if the pilot was “ok.”
The Boeing 737-800 jet quickly adjusted and briefly regained altitude before landing safely at the airport.
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that the airline follows a “robust” safety management system and is in contact with the FAA to “identify and address any anomalies regarding aircraft approach to the airport.”
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” the spokesperson said.
In April, a Southwest Airlines plane nearly crashed into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii after a pilot error. A recent Bloomberg report said an inexperienced pilot in bad weather caused the plane to plummet from an altitude of 1,000 feet to just 400 feet above the Pacific Ocean in a matter of seconds.
