WASHINGTON — Federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew over 150 feet of water while about five miles (8 kilometers) from its intended landing site at Tampa, Florida, airport.
The pilots skipped Tampa airport and landed instead in 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 was flying at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is investigating the incident.
Southwest Flight 425, which took off from Columbus, Ohio, reached its lowest point as it flew over Old Tampa Bay, near the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Flightradar24 reported. Three previous Southwest flights to Tampa passed the same point at about 1,225 feet (375 meters), the flight tracking service said.
“Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the flight crew aborted the planned approach to Tampa International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.
Based in Dallas Southwest said it is in contact with the FAA “to understand and address irregularities. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
The FAA is still investigating a June 18 flight in which a Southwest jet low altitude warning about 525 feet (160 meters) above the ground and 9 miles (14 kilometers) from Oklahoma City Airport. An air traffic controller contacted that crew after receiving an automated alert in the control tower. The plane circled the airport — a “go-around” — before making a smooth landing.
In April, a Southwest plane went into a dive off the coast of Hawaii and came within 400 feet (120 meters) of the ocean before the plane began to climb. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating a Southwest jet that experienced an unusual “Dutch sandwich” and was found to have tail damage after a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California. Investigators say the plane was parked outside during a severe storm.