{"id":137934,"date":"2026-03-29T18:57:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T13:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=137934"},"modified":"2026-03-29T18:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T13:27:23","slug":"southwest-737-pilots-aborts-landing-at-hollywood-burbank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/29\/southwest-737-pilots-aborts-landing-at-hollywood-burbank\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Airlines 737 Pilots Abort Landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DALLAS-<\/strong> A Southwest Airlines (WN)<\/a> Boeing 737 arriving from Las Vegas (LAS)<\/a> executed an abrupt go-around at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) on March 26, 2025, after the pilot reported the runway was not clear. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident involved no other aircraft or vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passengers aboard the flight were arriving from Las Vegas around 3 p.m. when the pilot suddenly aborted the landing and performed a go-around instead. Both the FAA and Southwest Airlines (WN) stated the maneuver was routine, with no runway incursion on record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Southwest
Photo: Jeffrey S.S | Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Flight Go-Around at Hollywood Burbank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The flight, identified as Southwest flight 2353, was arriving from Las Vegas (LAS) when the situation unfolded on Thursday, March 26, as the Boeing 737<\/a> approached the runway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A passenger shared a video of the announcement made over the plane’s intercom system. The pilot stated, “Hey folks, just a quick update. The ordered runway wasn’t quite clear when we were going to touch down there, so we had to go around. Now, we will get back in line and another probably five or 10 minutes here, and we’ll be landing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One passenger told ABC7 (KABC) Eyewitness News<\/a> that the wheels briefly touched the ground before the plane took off again at a steep incline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Southwest
Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

FAA Confirms Go-Around, Rules Out Runway Incursion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The FAA<\/a> confirmed to Fox News Digital that the flight crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 2353 executed a pilot-initiated go-around after briefly landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California, and that there were no other aircraft or vehicles involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAA officials explained that a go-around is a safe, routine maneuver performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controller, which discontinues the landing approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines issued a statement confirming no internal reports of a runway incursion. Southwest Airlines stated: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don’t have any internal reports of a runway incursion, and the FAA has indicated they do not either. From our initial reports, the pilots performed a routine go-around before landing safely.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"Southwest\"
Photo: Cado Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similar Incident<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines (WN) Flight WN 1496 was en route to Las Vegas (LAS) from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) when, just six minutes after takeoff, the aircraft dropped nearly 500 feet to comply with traffic alerts issued to the pilots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident left passengers shaken, triggered a federal investigation, and renewed public scrutiny over airspace safety near one of the United States’ busiest aviation corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines Flight WN 1496, operating on a Boeing 737, took off just before noon local time. After less than six minutes in the air, a privately owned Hawker Hunter fighter jet crossed less than two miles in front of it, within a few hundred feet of its altitude, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two flight attendants were injured during the emergency maneuver, though no passengers reported physical harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An aviation industry source told NBC News that the Southwest crew was initially told to climb to 15,000 feet, but when the plane reached 12,000 feet, air traffic controllers adjusted their instruction and told the pilot to level off at 14,000 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, due to conflicting traffic, ATC issued a turn of over 60 degrees, during which the crew received a TCAS alert instructing them to climb. Immediately following the climb, they received another TCAS alert instructing them to descend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Boeing 737-700, registered as N249WN<\/strong> and approximately 19 years old, was cruising at around 14,100 feet<\/strong> when the cockpit received two TCAS advisories in quick succession. The rapid sequence of opposing commands, first climb, then descend, created the sharp dive that passengers aboard described as terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Boeing 737 dropped 475 feet in seconds, following two urgent warnings from its Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). The fighter jet involved, flying from El Paso, Texas, to Oxnard, California, went up approximately 100 feet in just a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Passengers Describe Chaos Inside the Cabin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Passenger Steve Ulasewicz told CNN: “There was a small initial drop that I thought was just like really bad turbulence. And then after that, there was this long free fall.” He described being terrified, people screaming, and pandemonium in the cabin. “I definitely thought that the plane was going down, that there was a mechanical issue with it,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Reddit user wrote: “Our pilot took the wildest dive of all time to get out from in front of another aircraft. There were so many people, including seatbelts, flying out of our seats for approximately 20 seconds. One of the flight attendants needed medical attention after the plane landed.” Another passenger compared the dive to a theme park attraction, describing it as “like the Tower of Terror ride.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two flight attendants were thrown against the ceiling of the cabin during the abrupt maneuver, sustaining head injuries. Medical care was administered to the flight attendants once the aircraft landed in Las Vegas (LAS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Remarks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines (WN) confirmed the incident and commended its crew. The airline stated: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank, requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts. The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully. Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances. No injuries were immediately reported by Customers, but two Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries. We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The FAA confirmed: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The agency confirmed it has opened a formal investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident came after a deadly crash earlier in 2025 between a Black Hawk Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, which killed 67 people and intensified questions about FAA oversight and air traffic controller staffing levels.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Southwest 737 Pilots Abort Takeoff to Avoid Collision with Private Plane<\/a><\/blockquote>