FAA & Southwest Airlines Investigating Low Flying Commercial Jet

The Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest Airlines say they are investigating after a commercial jet flew dangerously low over Yukon early Wednesday morning.

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According to the FAA, an automated warning sounded prompting an air traffic controller to alert the crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 4069 that it had descended to a low altitude while over Yukon, about nine miles away from Will Rogers World Airport in City.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, the Boeing 737-800 en route to Oklahoma City from Las Vegas had descended to about 500 feet.

A spokesperson for the FAA confirms they are looking into the circumstances promoting the low altitude warning.

In a statement, Southwest Airlines said:

“Southwest is following its robust Safety Management System and is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration to understand and address any irregularities with the aircraft’s approach to the airport. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”

Statement from FAA

"This information is preliminary and subject to change. 

After an automated warning sounded, an air traffic controller alerted the crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 4069 that the aircraft had descended to a low altitude nine miles away from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. 

The FAA is investigating the incident that occurred around 12:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 19. Please contact the airline for additional information."

Background 

The automated system is the Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW), which alerts controllers if an aircraft gets too low.