New FAA investigation: Southwest flight to Tampa flew at low altitude of only 1500 feet

Federal officials are investigating a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Tampa International Airport in Florida that descended rapidly on July 14, falling more than 1,500 feet in just over a minute and coming to rest 150 feet above the surface of Tampa International Airport.

The incident took place shortly after 7:00 p.m., when the Boeing 737 MAX was still miles from its destination. At that point, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight chart shows, the plane should have been more than 1,000 feet above the surface, but it was only at the height of a 15 floor building.

The commercial airline jet, which had departed from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio, crashed in the middle of a storm with light rain and wind gusts of up to 32 km/h, according to a weather station at Tampa International Airport, so it was diverted to Fort Lauderdale.

An air traffic control operator alerted pilots to the plane's low altitude, according to a recording of the communications posted on YouTube. At that moment, the aircraft rapidly ascended about 300 meters.

Veteran commercial pilot and Texas-certified flight instructor Robert Katz noted that while flying so close to the surface, wind shear (a rapid change in wind speed or direction) could have “tossed the plane like a fly toward Tampa Bay,” according to a report published by The Tampa Bay Times.

Katz noted that the pilots did not appear to be monitoring the plane's descent and should have been aware that they were flying at a dangerous altitude without the controller alerting them.

The FAA said in a statement that the incident is under investigation.

“Southwest is following its robust Safety Management System and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and address any irregularities,” Southwest said in a statement. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”