According to Southwest’s review, the incident occurred following an aborted landing attempt due to inclement weather that blocked the pilots from seeing the runway by a specified altitude.

The captain opted to put the “newer” first officer in command on the short flight to Lihue despite the forecasts, according to the memo.

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The less-experienced first officer “inadvertently” pushed forward on the control column . The pilot then cut the speed, causing the airplane to descend. Soon after, a warning system sounded alarms signalling the jet was getting too close to the surface and the captain ordered the first officer to increase thrust. The plane then “climbed aggressively” at 8500 feet (2590 metres) per minute, the memo said.

Flights preparing for a landing normally glide down at a rate of 1500 to 2000 feet (457 down to 609 metres) a minute early in the approach, Darby said, and slow to 800 feet (244 metres) about eight kilometres from the airport.

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The National Transportation Safety Board wasn’t aware of the Southwest incident, a spokesperson said. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association declined to comment.

Southwest declined to provide the flight number or specify the date of the incident, citing an FAA-overseen safety program under which pilots and other employees can report concerns anonymously.

The carrier concluded in its review of the recent mishap that proper pilot monitoring and better communication between crew members is critical. Among other steps, it pledged to review industry and internal data related to its procedures and training protocols.

In May, a passenger died and more than 70 others were injured, including eight Australians, after a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence, flinging passengers and crew around the cabin and forcing the plane to land in Bangkok.

The Southwest incident is reminiscent of an event that occurred in December 2022 when a United Airlines Holdings flight came within about 750 feet (228 metres) of the ocean after suddenly dropping shortly after takeoff from a different Hawaii airport. Authorities investigated that incident, and the transportation safety board found the mishap resulted from a miscommunication between the pilots on the aircraft.

The pilots involved in that flight received additional training as a result of the incident.

Bloomberg

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