South
Southwest Airlines flight to Hawaiian island plunges, comes within 400 feet of Pacific Ocean: Report
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft came within 400 feet of slamming into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai after weather conditions forced pilots to swiftly change course.
A Southwest Airlines memo to pilots, obtained by Bloomberg News, detailed Southwest Flight 2786 from the April 11 flight from Honolulu International Airport to Lihue Airport in Kauai.
Passengers were left white-knuckled after the aircraft dropped from nearly 16,000 feet to an altitude of 409 feet.
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A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet departs from San Diego International Airport en route to Denver on January 13, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
According to the Southwest memo, the incident occurred following an aborted landing attempt due to bad weather that blocked pilots from seeing the runway at the specified altitude.
The memo noted that the captain opted to put the “newer” first officer in command of the 100-mile interisland flight, despite the pending weather.
The less-experienced first officer “inadvertently” pushed forward on the control column, which controls the plane’s pitch and roll, then cut the speed, causing the airplane to rapidly descend.
The Makua Reef, Tunnels Beach and the Haena Beach Park on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii. (Photo by: Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The pilot’s aggressive movement prompted the warning system to sound the alarm that the passenger aircraft was getting too close to the terrain.
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The memo said that the captain ordered the first officer to increase thrust – prompting the aircraft to “climb aggressively” at 8,500 feet per minute.
Southwest Airlines Co is the largest low-cost carrier in the world with headquarters in Dallas, Texas and a fleet of 802 Boeing 737 planes. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The interisland flight, which should have been approximately 22 minutes long, departed Honolulu at 6:45 p.m., but following the incident, the plane returned to Honolulu at 8:09 p.m.
No one was injured during the hair-raising ride.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said that “the event was addressed appropriately.”
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety,” the spokesperson said. “Through our robust Safety Management System, the event was addressed appropriately as we always strive for continuous improvement.”
The Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital that it is “investigating the incident.”
A United Airlines Boeing 777 flight, in Dec. 2022, plunged 775 feet. (United Airlines)
The Southwest incident is reminiscent of the United Airlines Boeing 777 Dreamliner plunge incident which occurred off Maui in 2022.
The Boeing 777-200 reached an altitude of 2,200 feet about a minute after takeoff from Maui on Dec. 18, 2022, before plunging to 775 feet above sea level nearly 20 seconds later.
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“After landing at SFO, the pilots filed the appropriate safety report,” a United Airlines spokesman told FOX Business in a statement. “United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA [Air Line Pilots Association] on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training. Safety remains our highest priority.”
A Burtonsville resident was recognized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a master angler, one of the state’s highet honors bestowed upon fisherman, for catching 10 different species of fish at trophy size in the state.
Hien Tram is the 30th person to earn this milestone honor, under FishMaryland, a statewide program offering yearround opportunities for fishing enthusiasts to build community. The program began in 2019.
Tram has been fishing for 30 years and primarily fishes from shore, according to an April 28 announcement by the Natural Resources Department. He is a self-taught angler who credits his fishing knowledge “to watching and learning from other anglers, YouTube videos and magazine articles,” according to a statement.
“There is always something new to learn,” Tram stated. A 49-inch red drum was his favorite award catch, he said.
Tram began fishing locally with friends while he was in high school. He admitted to “even occasionally skipping school to fish with handlines.”
A list of fish he caught that qualified him for the state award, include:
- Carp – 30.5 inches
- Chesapeake Channa – (northern snakehead) – 32 inches
- Hickory shad – 18.5 inches
- Striped bass – 42 inches
- Blue crab – 8.25 inches
- Spotted seatrout – 26.5 inches
- Kingfish – 14.5 inches
- Red drum – 49 inches
- White perch – 13 inches
- Chain pickerel – 24 inches
Photo above courtesy of Hien Tram
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RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A groundhog has tested positive for rabies in Western North Carolina.
Rutherford County Animal Control Services posted on social media on May 1 that the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health sent Animal Control Services the notification on April 29.
According to the post, the groundhog was in the vicinity of Oak Springs Baptist Church to the Rutherford County Airport of the Gilkey Township area.
There was no reported human exposure with the groundhog, the post said.
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Animal Control Services said it was the first positive test for rabies in Rutherford County for 2026. The last positive rabies test confirmed by the N.C. State Lab of Public Health was July 3, 2025 That animal was also a groundhog from the city limits of Rutherfordton near the intersection of Alt U.S. 74 and U.S. 64 area.
The Rutherford County Health Director and Rutherford County Animal Control Services is advising residents to be sure that their animals are under their direct control. Animals that are allowed to wander or run loose are at a greater risk of coming into contact with rabid animals, the post said.
Residents’ pets with rabies vaccinations not up to date and that are exposed to a rabid animal will have to be euthanized or placed in a strict supervised quarantine at the owner’s expense for up to four months, Animal Control Services said in the post.
If residents’ pets have up-to-date vaccinations, the pets will need a booster vaccine if exposed to rabies.
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During the next six months anyone living in the Gilkey Township area should watch for animals with unusual behavior and be sure all pets have current rabies vaccinations. North Carolina State law requires that all cats and dogs have rabies vaccines at four months of age, a booster 12 months after the initial rabies vaccine and then a booster vaccine every three years.
All local veterinarians offer rabies vaccines. Rutherford County Animal Control Services also offers rabies vaccines., including low cost rabies vaccine clinics, which are available on the first Tuesday every month from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (no appointment needed) for $5 per vaccine.
Anyone seeing an animal displaying abnormal behaviors should call Animal Control Services at 828-980-0016.
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