A federal investigation has been launched following a recent incident involving a Southwest Airlines flight that descended dangerously close to the ocean off the coast of a Hawaiian island. The incident, which took place on April 11 aboard Southwest Flight 2786, was brought to public attention after a memo was sent to pilots regarding the event.
According to reports, the incident occurred when a 'newer' first officer inadvertently pushed forward on the control column, causing the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to drop at a rate of over 4,000 feet per minute while just 600 feet above sea level. The plane descended as low as 400 feet before swiftly climbing back up.
