FAA Investigation of Southwest Boeing Jet That Nearly Hit the Ocean Is So Unsettling

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A shocking new FAA investigation revealed to the public this past Friday gives insight into one of Southwest Airlines' scariest in-flight incidents in recent history. The newly-revealed investigation concerns a Southwest Airlines flight to Hawai'i in April, which reportedly took a dive near its destination and came within a few hundred feet of crashing into the ocean.

The plane involved in the incident was a Boieng 737 MAX, immediately sparking concern in light of Boeiing's recent safety scandals. However, with more details about the incident being brought to light, it's clear that this complex - and chilling - near-miss can't be simply attributed to mechanical error.

The incident had gone unreported until June 14, after Bloomberg News acquired an internal memo sent to Southwest pilots last week. According to the details as reported by @abcnews , a Southwest-operated Boeing 737 MAX had to abandon its initial landing attempt on Kauai due to "inclement weather" with "moderate to extreme precipitation." It's when the crew attempted a go-around that things went dangerously pear-shaped.

Related: British Airways Transatlantic Flight 'Traps' Passengers for 9 Hours After Technical Malfunction

The memo states that "the less experienced first officer inadvertently pushed forward on the control column, then cut the speed causing the airplane to descend." Warning alarms began to sound as the captain ordered the FO to increase thrust. The Southwest aircraft then "climbed aggressively" at 8,500 feet per minute.

According to the Bloomberg report, Southwest Flight 2786 was only flying at 1,000 feet above sea level, having just aborted a landing attempt, when it began its rapid descent at over 4,000 feet per minute. Though the drop only lasted a few seconds, the plane came within just 400 feet of crashing into the Pacific Ocean before correcting and quickly climbing back up. After that close call, the flight returned to its departure airport in Honolulu, where all passengers emerged unharmed.

A Near-Deadly Mistake and a Late Revelation

The involvement of a Boeing 737 MAX plane was certainly an eyebrow-raising detail, but based on the information presented here, it's unlikely that the accident had a direct mechanical cause. The root cause seems to be a combination of user error (the FO "inadvertently" pushing the controls forward") and environmental hazards from the foul weather outside (but until the FAA concludes their investigation, this is all speculation).

However, as noted in the ABC report, another Southwest-operated 737 MAX suffered damage after it suddenly went into a "Dutch roll" during a flight last month. The Guardian reported that " substantial damage " was discovered to a backup power unit for the plan's rudder, but it's unclear whether a mechanical problem triggered the Dutch roll or if the damage was sustained during the maneuver.

Notably, Southwest Airlines reportedly did not notify the NTSB about the Dutch roll incident until June 7... and according to Bloomberg , the NTSB claimed they were also unaware of the Hawai'i incident at the time of the memo's public revelation on Friday. However, the FAA told CNN that they learned of the incident immediately and opened an investigation .

Southwest Airlines had conducted their own internal review of the incident, and the memo to their pilots stressed the need for "proper pilot monitoring and better communication between crew members ." They reportedly promised to review data relating to their training protocols and procedures. Since the Bloomberg report, Southwest Airlines has kept public comments to a minimum, other than acknowledging the April incident to CNN .

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