BURBANK, Calif., July 26, 2025 — Two flight attendants sustained injuries Friday when their Southwest Airlines flight, Southwest 1496, executed a sudden evasive maneuver to avoid another aircraft during takeoff from Burbank, California. The Boeing 737, en route to Las Vegas, dropped nearly 500 feet, according to flight tracking data, marking the second close call for a U.S. commercial jet in a week.
Military Aircraft Involved in Incidents
The incident involving Southwest 1496 has been identified as the fourth involving military aircraft since March. The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the pilots acted after receiving warnings about dangerously close air traffic. The flight continued to Las Vegas and landed without further incident.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 identified the other aircraft as a British-made Hawker Hunter jet that crossed the Southwest flight’s path. The two planes were reportedly 4.86 miles apart horizontally and 350 feet apart vertically. The U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense did not immediately comment on the military jet’s presence near Burbank.
The FAA has launched an investigation into the event. The injured flight attendants received treatment, though no passenger injuries were immediately reported. However, one passenger described the abrupt descent as terrifying, recalling the pilot’s announcement of a near-collision with another plane.
Three Other Near-Collisions Highlight Safety Concerns
This event follows a July 18 incident where a SkyWest Airlines jet, operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis, had to take evasive action to avoid a U.S. Air Force bomber during its approach to landing in North Dakota. The FAA is investigating this near-collision, which involved SkyWest flight 3788, an Embraer regional jet that landed safely in Minot, North Dakota.
The Air Force confirmed that a B-52 bomber from Minot Air Force Base was conducting a ceremonial flyover at the North Dakota State Fair at the same time. The Air Force stated its crew communicated with air traffic control before, during, and after the flyover. Minot International Airport’s control tower reportedly did not alert the B-52 crew to an incoming commercial plane. The FAA noted that Minot’s air traffic services are managed by a private company, not FAA employees.
Separately, the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating a March 28 near-collision between a Delta Airbus A319 and four Air Force T-38 Talon jets near Washington Reagan National Airport. The military jets were headed for a commemorative flight at Arlington National Cemetery.
Concerns about military aircraft operating near civilian flights have heightened since January, when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet near Reagan National, resulting in 67 fatalities. In early May, the FAA grounded Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon after another near-miss incident.
- Two Southwest Airlines flight attendants were injured during a takeoff from Burbank, California, on Friday.
- The injuries occurred when the pilots performed an evasive maneuver to avoid another aircraft.
- This is the second near-collision involving a commercial jet in a week and the fourth involving military aircraft since March.
- The FAA and the airline are investigating the incident.
