- The FAA is investigating Southwest Airlines after several in-flight incidents in recent months.
- Southwest planes have descended to dangerously low altitudes, and one suffered a so-called "Dutch roll."
Southwest Airlines has recently had a few too many close calls when it comes to safety.
After recent incidents including a "Dutch Roll" and a plane flying dangerously close to the ocean, the Dallas-based airline is now facing an audit of its safety procedures by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"The FAA has increased oversight of Southwest Airlines to ensure it is complying with federal safety regulations," the agency confirmed to Business Insider in a statement.
"Safety will drive the timeline," the agency said, implying that the review would take as long as necessary.
On May 25, a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California, experienced a rare stability problem known as a Dutch roll. The plane rocked from side to side and moved in a figure-eight rolling motion.
An FAA report into that incident found damage to the standby power-control unit, which controls the rudder. Pilots regained control of the aircraft, and no injuries were reported.
Several Southwest flights have also descended to dangerously low levels this year.
On July 14, a Boeing 737 Max operated by Southwest from Columbus, Ohio, to Tampa, Florida, prompted alerts when it flew just 150 feet above the ocean.
The cause of the plane flying at such a low altitude has not been confirmed. Pilots who spoke to the local news station, Fox 13, said the plane should have been at least 1,000 feet higher.
An FAA investigation has been opened into the incident.
In April, a less experienced pilot accidentally sent a plane into a nosedive off the coast of Hawaii. And in June, a third Southwest flight to Oklahoma City was recorded at just 525 feet above ground level.
The airline is working closely with the FAA to review the recent events, a Southwest spokesperson told BI.
"Southwest has an exceptional Safety Program that includes an FAA-Accepted Safety Management System (SMS)," the spokesperson said.
"We recently formed a dedicated team of subject-matter experts and leaders from Southwest, our union partners, and the FAA to bolster our existing (safety management system)."
The group will perform an in-depth, data-driven analysis to identify opportunities for improvement.
"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees," said the spokesperson.
Flight safety concerns have been growing this year among a growing number of high-profile incidents such as the Alaska Airlines Boeing door blowout and numerous cases of harmful in-flight turbulence.
United Airlines is also facing increased regulatory scrutiny after it experienced a number of incidents earlier in 2024, including a plane's tire falling off in midair and a plane's engine failing over the Pacific.
The transport secretary, Pete Buttigieg, appeared on NBC and assured viewers that the FAA would not allow a plane in the air if it was considered unsafe.
"Flying on a commercial airliner in the United States is the safest way to travel," he said. "We've gotta keep it that way and hold the airlines to keeping it that way."
News of the investigation into Southwest came soon before the airline reported a significant drop in profits for the second quarter of the year. Southwest reported net income of $367 million for the quarter, down from $683 million in the same period in 2023.
On the same day, Southwest announced it would ditch its long-standing unassigned seating policy, moving instead to allow passengers to purchase a seat of their choice.