A Southwest Airlines flight dropped several hundred feet in a matter of seconds to avoid a midair collision, after the Federal Aviation Administration said pilots were alerted to another aircraft's presence in the area.

What felt like a free‑fall for passengers on Southwest Flight 1496 may prompt serious questions about air safety and how close is too close?

Alarms sounded in the cockpit of a Southwest Airlines jet shortly after taking off from Hollywood Burbank airport near Los Angeles on Friday, prompting evasive maneuvers, the airline said in a statement.

The Southwest Boeing 737 departed just before noon local time on Friday for a scheduled flight to Las Vegas. Six minutes after takeoff, a privately owned Hawker Hunter fighter jet crossed less than two miles in front of the Southwest plane, passing within a few hundred feet of the same altitude, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.

Southwest Airlines will switch to assigned seats on Jan. 27, 2026, the airline announced. Seat assignments will go on sale July 29, 2025.

Passengers on Southwest Flight 1496 to Las Vegas experienced a terrifying nosedive when the pilot took action to avoid a midair collision, causing injuries as people hit the ceiling.