FAA investigating after Southwest Airlines plane flew so low to the ground it woke up Yukon residents
Neighbors in Yukon were woken up early Wednesday after a Southwest Airlines plane flew so low that it caused a low altitude alert at Will Rogers World Airport.
Neighbors in Yukon were woken up early Wednesday after a Southwest Airlines plane flew so low that it caused a low altitude alert at Will Rogers World Airport.
Neighbors in Yukon were woken up early Wednesday after a Southwest Airlines plane flew so low that it caused a low altitude alert at Will Rogers World Airport.
Neighbors in Yukon were woken up early Wednesday after a Southwest Airlines plane flew so low that it caused a low altitude alert at Will Rogers World Airport.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
The plane was only about 600 feet off the ground when it flew over Yukon High School, and no one seems to know why, and an investigation is underway.
“Southwest 4069, low altitude alert, you good out there,” an air traffic controller at the airport could be heard saying in a call to the pilot after the low altitude alarm was triggered.
“Are you going to come back for 1-3 or continue with your approach,” the air traffic controller asked the pilot.
ABC News reports that the plane was only at 625 feet in the air when it passed over the school and, at one point, had dropped in altitude to as low as 525 feet. The school is about nine miles away from the runway.
“4069 turn right, heading 160, field is one o’clock, niner miles,” the controller told the pilot.
The plane was flying lower than the broadcast towers at KOCO 5, which stand at over 600 feet.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the situation, it’s not known why the aircraft was at such a low altitude. Clarence E. Page Municipal Airport in Yukon confirmed that the passenger plane was not on approach to their runway.
The FAA released a statement regarding the incident:
“The FAA is investigating the incident that occurred around 12:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 19.”
Some homeowners and locals in the Yukon area were woken up by the noise and posted on Facebook.
“We ran outside, and it looked like Southwest Airlines. It was extremely low. We watched it fly off to the east just a little, and then it circled back around again,” a Yukon resident posted.
Another person wrote that it woke up their dogs and sounded like it was coming through their home.
While it rattled some nerves, others weren’t as bothered.
“I used to live off Southwest 15th and Sara Road, it was a fairly common occurrence being so close to Will Rogers,” another person wrote.
The plane eventually landed safely at Will Rogers World Airport without any further issues, but the investigation is ongoing.
Top Headlines
- Suspect tied to multiple Oklahoma murders captured in Arkansas after multi-day manhunt
- Driver arrested after leading police on high-speed chase in stolen car
- Woman who worked as a 'Rosie the Riveter' during World War II celebrates 100th birthday
- Man accused of sexual abuse could have victims in Oklahoma
- Grady County deputies find $100K of stolen agricultural equipment thanks to concerned citizen