WASHINGTON >> Two flight attendants on a Southwest Airlines flight departing Burbank, California, were injured on Friday after pilots took evasive action to dodge another aircraft on takeoff, the airline said.
Southwest Flight 1496 sharply descended nearly 500 feet, according to flight tracking websites, marking the second time in a week that a U.S. commercial jet was forced to make abrupt flight maneuvers to avoid a potential mid-air collision.
The incident also appeared to be the fourth involving military aircraft since March.
The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration said the Southwest pilots took action after receiving cockpit alerts of other aircraft traffic being dangerously close. The Southwest Boeing 737 continued on to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully.
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Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 identified the other aircraft as a Hawker Hunter fighter jet — British-built aircraft — that crossed in front of the Southwest flight.
The planes came within 4.86 miles of each other laterally and 350 feet vertically. The U.S. Air Force and Defense Department did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the military jet’s presence near Burbank.
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The FAA was investigating.
Two flight attendants were treated for injuries, the airline said, without providing detail.
No injuries were immediately reported by passengers, according to Southwest. But one passenger told Fox News Digital the sharp descent stirred panic onboard.
“It was terrifying. We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash,” Caitlin Burdi said in an on-camera interview. After the incident, “the pilot came on (the intercom), and he told us we almost collided with another plane.”
According to a statement from Southwest, the incident began when its crew responded to “two onboard traffic alerts” while taking off from the Hollywood Burbank Airport north of Los Angeles, “requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.”
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In a separate incident one week ago, a SkyWest Airlines jet operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis reported taking evasive action to avoid a possible collision with a U.S. Air Force bomber during a landing approach over North Dakota on July 18.
The FAA said on Monday it was investigating July 18’s near-miss incident involving SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet, which landed safely at Minot, North Dakota.
The Air Force confirmed a B-52 jet bomber assigned to Minot Air Force Base had conducted a ceremonial flyover of the North Dakota State Fair last Friday around the time of the SkyWest incident.
The Air Force said the bomber cockpit crew was in contact with local air traffic control before, during and after the flyover, and that the Minot International Airport control tower “did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft” as the B-52 was departing the area.
The FAA has said that air traffic services were provided by the Minot air traffic control tower, which is run by a private company and not FAA employees.
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The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating a March 28 close call involving a Delta Airbus A319 jet and a group of Air Force jets near Reagan Washington National Airport. The four Air Force T-38 Talons were heading to nearby Arlington National Cemetery for a flyover at the time.
There has been intense focus on military traffic near civilian airplanes since an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on January 29 near Reagan National, killing 67 people.
In early May, the FAA barred Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon after another near miss.
HAMPTON, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said its wardens are investigating the eighth boating death of the year following an incident on Watauga Lake.
At around 7 p.m. on Friday, the TWRA was dispatched to a boating incident at Rat Branch boat ramp after the caller said the operator had fallen overboard in the no-wake zone and did not resurface.
The victim, identified as 36-year-old Alexander Luster, of Boone, North Carolina, was participating in a bass tournament and fell overboard prior to the start of the event, TWRA officials said. First responders recovered his body shortly after 11:30 p.m.
TWRA said an autopsy has been ordered, and the incident, which is the eighth boating death in Tennessee this year, remains under investigation.
Oklahoma’s early exit at the SEC Tournament opened the door for UCLA to take the lead in the home run race.
Kendall Wells, who was named the SEC Freshman of the Year on Friday for her outstanding 2026 season, went 0-for-3 with a walk in Thursday’s defeat to Georgia, meaning she enters the NCAA Tournament sitting on 36 home runs.
She’s no longer chasing former Arizona star Laura Espinoza, however.
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UCLA slugger Megan Grant hit home runs on Friday and Saturday to equal and surpass the record set by Espinoza in 1995.
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Grant broke the record in the top of the third inning in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game. She hammered the 0-2 delivery from former OU pitcher Jordy Frahm for home run No. 38.
The solo shot put the Bruins up 2-0, but Frahm and the Cornhuskers roared back to win the game 7-2.
Wells still has the entire NCAA Tournament to chase down and pass Grant. Her next home run will tie Espinoza’s mark of 37 long balls.
It wouldn’t be the first time things have shifted in this massive 2026 home run race, either.
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OU was the first team to catch and surpass the 161 home runs hit by the 2021 Sooners.
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UCLA’s run at the Big Ten Tournament flipped the race.
The Bruins homered four times against Penn State on Thursday and four times on Friday against Wisconsin before Grant’s record-breaking blast on Saturday.
As a result, UCLA will enter the NCAA Tournament having hit 182 home runs to Oklahoma’s 174 home runs, and the Sooners have played one additional game.
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Both teams a virtually guaranteed to be hosting regionals when the full NCAA Tournament field is revealed on Sunday evening.
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Despite the loss to Georgia, Oklahoma is in strong position to earn a top four seed in the tournament. Patty Gasso’s team enters the tournament 48-8 overall, including a 20-4 mark in SEC play during the regular season, which clinched the program’s second-straight regular season crown.
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Should the Sooners advance out of the first weekend of the tournament, they are also projected to host a Super Regional at Love’s Field.
UCLA finished the weekend 47-8 overall following their run at the Big Ten Tournament, and the Bruins went 20-4 in league play during the regular season.
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPN2 on Sunday at 6 p.m.
South Carolina’s small towns each work a different angle. Beaufort sits under live oaks and Spanish moss inside a National Historic Landmark District you can walk in about an hour. McClellanville keeps about 600 residents on Jeremy Creek as a fishing village remnant from the early 1800s. Aiken’s winter-colony origins still show up in its late-1800s downtown architecture. Hilton Head Island pairs Coligny Beach Park sunsets with the Harbour Town Lighthouse and Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Travelers Rest puts the Swamp Rabbit Trail through downtown for cyclists and joggers, and the South Carolina towns ahead each earn their stop.
Clemson
Tillman Hall, a historical landmark at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina.
Clemson runs on the energy of Clemson University, with around 18,364 residents and a steady mix of college-town shops and cafes. True Orange Boutique and Tiger Town Tavern anchor the downtown, with the historic Fort Hill on the same walking radius. The Bob & Betsy Campbell Museum holds exhibits on the town’s past for anyone who wants the longer story.
A stop at Boggs Store, an authentic general store from the early 1900s, now houses a restaurant called Calhoun Corners. The 17,500-acre Clemson Experimental Forest on the edge of town opens onto 105 miles of scenic trails for an afternoon outdoors.
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Hilton Head’s reputation runs on South Beach, the Harbour Town and Sea Pines golf courses, and the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort. The historic district pulls in a quieter crowd, with a walkable waterfront promenade and galleries like the Art League of Hilton Head. Skull Creek Boathouse and Poseidon both serve dinner with calm-water views.
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina is a longtime marina district worth a stop for the boat-side restaurants and harbor walk. End the day at Coligny Beach Park, where the sunset over Calibogue Sound is what most locals come for.
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McClellanville
Jeremy Creek at McClellanville, South Carolina. Image credit: Ammodramus via Wikimedia Commons.
McClellanville is pure Lowcountry slow with just over 600 residents. Pinckney Street still feels like the early nineteenth century, and the Village Museum tells the story of the town’s fishing-village years.
The Buck Hall Recreation Area and Boat Landing nearby is good for a picnic with a chance of spotting herons or egrets. After dark, the lack of light pollution makes for genuine stargazing.
Aiken
Aerial view of Aiken town center in South Carolina.
A short drive from Augusta, Georgia, Aiken still carries the genteel character of its origins as a winter retreat for plantation families. Stately homes downtown reflect the “winter colony of Charleston” reputation. The walkable downtown holds antique shops, boutiques like White Rose Eclectics and Little Red Fox Shop, and cafes like The Village Cafe and New Moon Cafe. The Aiken County Historical Museum covers the town’s strong equestrian roots.
Hopelands Gardens spreads 14 acres of formal gardens and trails just outside the city center, with Aiken State Park nearby for a longer outing.
Pendleton
The old square in Pendleton, South Carolina.
Pendleton sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with a town square, historic homes like the Ashtabula Historic District and Woodburn Historic House, and about 3,664 residents. Main Street holds early 19th-century architecture preserved through ongoing restoration.
The Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina covers the local farming history. Blue Ridge Mountain Park nearby offers hiking and picnic areas with the Pendleton countryside framing the views.
Hartsville
Lawton Park Pavilion, Hartsville. Image credit: Jud McCranie via Wikimedia Commons.
Hartsville is a Southern town with about 7,640 residents, grand historic homes, and Byerly Park as a green-space anchor. The Hartsville Black Creek Arts Council runs changing exhibits, and downtown Hartsville circles a small park. The town is also known for Darlington Raceway, one of NASCAR’s top tracks.
Guided tours are available at the raceway, and Hartsville Football Stadium is open to peek at on the same loop. For dinner, Sam Kendall’s and The Rooster One Thirty Six both cover Southern homestyle.
York
Downtown York, South Carolina.
Tucked between Charlotte and Rock Hill along I-77, York keeps a small, walkable downtown. The historic district holds buildings like McCelvey Center, dating back over two centuries with Revolutionary War history baked in. York Street runs past the York County Courthouse and other long-standing landmarks. Nanny’s Mountain Trailhead nearby is a short, calming hike, while Allison Creek Park opens up to camping, fishing, hiking, or canoeing. Dinner at the Palmetto Bar & Grill is a good way to wrap the day before the drive home through countryside scenery.
Beaufort
Downtown street in Beaufort, South Carolina. Image credit: Stephen B. Goodwin via Shutterstock.
Beaufort is the Southern Lowcountry’s second-oldest city, with antebellum homes and live oaks draped in Spanish moss across a National Historic Landmark District best explored on foot. The Beaufort History Museum, housed in an 18th-century structure, covers the town’s rich history.
The Heritage Library is where Pat Conroy wrote The Prince of Tides, and Gilligan’s Seafood Restaurant on the waterfront serves the day’s catch. Ferry boat tours head out into the marshlands for wildlife along the coast.
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Travelers Rest
Travelers Rest, SC – April 21, 2025: First built in the early 1800’s, the beautiful Spring Park Inn was gifted to Travelers Rest and is being restored to serve as a museum and educational space.
Travelers Rest sits in the foothills near Greenville and has held its mountain pace despite being so close to the city. The Swamp Rabbit Trail runs right through downtown for cyclists and walkers, and Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve covers the wooded option for hikers. Downtown food covers all-American at Travelers Restaurant and Pizza House, with Topsoil Restaurant on the slightly more ambitious end.
Boutiques and antique stores like Urban Hare LLC and Charlie’s Southern Rustiques fill out the downtown walk. The Historic Spring Park Inn, a 19th-century building that started as a stagecoach stop, is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Georgetown
Historic buildings in Georgetown, South Carolina, via Andrew F. Kazmierski / Shutterstock.com.
Georgetown sits between Myrtle Beach and Charleston along the Waccamaw River, carrying its colonial-era rice plantation history into the present. The Rice Museum and surrounding historic homesteads cover plantation life from the 17th century forward. Downtown holds shops like Ship’s Booty, galleries like Art Harbor Gallery, and restaurants like Aunny’s Country Kitchen.
Winyah Bay nearby is good for views and bird sightings, including egrets. The Kaminski House Museum, a Georgian-design home, shows Southern life from the 1800s, and Hobcaw Barony Plantation runs guided tours.
Mount Pleasant
A beautiful day at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
One of the largest towns in the Charleston area, Mt. Pleasant has held onto a low-key feel despite a population over 95,000. Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens is a starting point and is known as “America’s Most Photographed Home.” Mt. Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park and Shem Creek both offer water access, restaurants, and fresh seafood.
Sullivan’s Island, one of the state’s best beaches, is just outside town. History buffs can visit Fort Moultrie, where preserved structures span from the Revolutionary War through World War II coastal defenses, and catch the free lighthouse tours during the yearly Lighting of the Lighthouse Festival. Local dishes worth trying include shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, and boiled peanuts.
From the Lowcountry to the Blue Ridge foothills, these South Carolina towns each tell a different piece of the state’s history. Some run on water, some on horse country, some on college life, but all of them slow you down enough to notice. The shortlist holds together because every town earns its spot.
