US Passenger Jet Flies 500 Feet Over Buildings, Sparks Low Altitude Alert

A Southwest Airlines passenger plane made a sudden dive and flew just 500 feet over buildings before landing in the US city of Oklahoma, reported local media.

The Boeing 737-800 from Las Vegas was cleared to land at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City just after Wednesday midnight. But it made a steep descent and prompted the Air Traffic Controller to sound a low altitude alert.

"Southwest 4069, low altitude alert. You good out there?" warned the ATC.

The plane passed only 500 feet over a school building but quickly regained its altitude, reported The Oklahoman. It then circled and landed safely at another runway, it added.

Locals soon took to social media to discuss the incident. "It woke me up and I thought it was gonna hit my house," a resident said in a Facebook group.

The airline said Thursday it was in touch with US aviation authorities to address any irregularities in its approach to the Oklahoma airport.

"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," an airline spokesperson said.