A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Las Vegas from Hollywood Burbank Airport experienced a dramatic and sudden descent shortly after takeoff on Friday,

Passengers on a Southwest Airlines jet described a jarring drop on a flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Las Vegas that injured two flight attendants.

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?

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.

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.

A Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank made an emergency descent of 475 feet to avoid colliding with another aircraft before safely landing in Las Vegas on Friday.

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.