Following a series of troubling safety incidents in recent months, the Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly conducting an audit of Southwest Airlines’ operations, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Southwest informed the outlet that they have been working closely with the air safety agency to review the recent mishaps, while the FAA stated to Scripps News that they have increased oversight of the airline to ensure compliance with federal safety regulations.
Just recently, a Southwest flight from Ohio to Florida flew as low as 150 feet over Tampa Bay while still miles away from Tampa International Airport, resulting in the flight being diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
On June 19, a Southwest plane flew within a few hundred feet of a town in Oklahoma before landing several miles away at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
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In April, a Southwest flight between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai began to dive towards the ocean at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while only 600 feet above sea level.
The month before, one of the airline’s jets strayed off course during a landing attempt at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in inclement weather and came dangerously close to the airport’s air traffic control tower.
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In recent months, there have also been a few instances of Southwest-operated planes experiencing technical issues, including one incident in April where a Boeing 737 lost its engine cover just after departing from Denver International Airport.
The audit of the airline’s safety procedures is expected to last several months, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed government official.
