Southwest Airlines Flight Triggers Low Altitude Warning After Reportedly Flying 525 Feet Over Oklahoma Town

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Southwest Airlines flight after it flew at an abnormally low altitude over Oklahoma.

Flight 4069 was flying over Yukon, Okla., when it reached a low altitude of 525 feet on Wednesday, June 19, CNN reports. Air traffic controllers at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City were alerted that the plane was descending too low after triggering a minimum safe altitude warning, according to the FAA.

“After an automated alert sounded, an air traffic controller alerted the crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 4069 that the aircraft had descended to a low altitude nine miles from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City,” the FAA tells PEOPLE in a statement. “The FAA is investigating the incident that occurred at approximately 12:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 19.”

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Southwest Airlines plane at Will Rogers World Airport.

Sue Ogrocki/AP

During the flight, the air traffic controller reportedly asked the pilot, “You okay there?” after they were warned about the low altitude of the plane, reports CNN.

In a Southwest statement, the airline confirmed that the plane, a Boeing 737-800, landed safely at Oklahoma City Airport.

“Southwest monitors its robust safety management system and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and resolve any irregularities in aircraft approach to the airport,” the airline added. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”

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Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

Will Rogers World Airport/Facebook

In December 2022, a United Airlines Boeing 777 reached a low altitude of 800 feet while flying over the Pacific Ocean en route to Maui, Hawaii.

Later in August 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the incident was the result of pilot error.

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The NTSB report stated that the Boeing 777 made a dramatic descent due to the “flight crew’s failure to manage the vertical flight path, airspeed and pitch.”

The report’s conclusion confirmed that the incident occurred due to a “miscommunication” between the two pilots regarding the “captain’s preferred flap setting” during takeoff.

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Source: HIS Education