A Boeing 737 MAX -8 of southwest Airlines nearly collided with the sea while carrying out a missed approach procedure (known as a go-around) due to a combination of adverse weather conditions and errors in handling the situation in the cockpit.
The incident occurred near Hawaii, and according to Bloomberg reports, the plane descended at an “abnormally high” rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute before it The crew will regain control and avoid disaster.
Incident Details
Flight 2786 was on approach to lihue airporton the island of Kauai, when it descended from approximately 1,000 feet to 400 feet in a matter of seconds. The plane’s descent exceeded 4,000 feet per minute, in contrast to the normal decline rate for this maneuver, which is 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute.
During the go-around, the co-pilot inadvertently pushed the control column forward while following the movement of the thrust lever commanded by the autothrottle. This resulted in a sudden loss of heightand despite receiving audible warnings from the GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System)the co-pilot did not take action due to task overload.
The captain ordered the co-pilot to increase power, resulting in an aggressive climb that exceeded 8,500 feet per minute and caused a overspeed on the flapswhich had deployed automatically, and a missed approach altitude exceeded by almost 700 feet.
Second Attempt and Final Decision
After returning to the home airport, the captain decided to attempt a second approach to LIH, although the co-pilot later expressed his wish that he had not done so. During the second attempt, the weather worsened, and the crew decided to return to the home airport without attempting another approach to LIH. The crew returned to their base the next day.
The incident occurred in April, and a memo distributed by Southwest to its pilots confirmed that the aircraft descended at an abnormally high rate before the crew averted disaster. There were no injuries on the flight, which returned safely to its home airport in Honolulu.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident. Southwest management faces increasing pressure from its shareholders due to the company’s financial performance and corporate culture.
Comparisons to Previous Incidents
This incident presents similarities with another that occurred in December 2022, when a United Airlines Boeing 777, Flight 1722, experienced a similar descent near Hawaii, descending from 2,100 feet to approximately 748 feet above the water before the crew managed to stabilize the aircraft.
southwest concluded in its review of the incident that proper supervision of pilots and better communication between crew members are crucial. The airline is committed to reviewing industry data and its own training procedures and protocols.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety,” the airline said in a statement about the flight in Hawaii. “Through our robust Safety Management System, we addressed the event appropriately while always striving for continuous improvement.”
