<p>A Southwest Airlines passenger's story has sent chills down people's spine. The passenger from the United States posted a video from a flight that descended alarmingly close to the ocean before it was about to land.</p>

<p>Nancy Allen was on&nbsp;a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by&nbsp;Southwest,&nbsp;flying from Columbus, Ohio, to Tampa, Florida, earlier this month. While the plane was&nbsp;four miles from the runway in Tampa, Flight 425 dropped to 175 feet above the ocean.</p>

<p>An air traffic controller had to notify the crew about their extremely low altitude, leading to the plane being diverted to Fort Lauderdale, about 200 miles away.</p>

<p>As the passengers started to panic, Allen sent her husband text messages. "I was concerned we were flying in a Tampa storm, so I opened my window," she told WFLA.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US: Donald Trump faces tough nominee Kamala Harris</strong></p>

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<p>"I was watching how we were approaching, we were coming around MacDill Air Force Base and I know you can’t fly over MacDill Force Base, it was just a unique approach," she added.</p>

<p>The video shot on her phone shows the Boeing plane rising back up after attempting to land in Tampa, then being redirected to Fort Lauderdale.</p>

<p>Allen explained that she realised something was wrong at that moment, saying, "I was feeling a little panic. At that moment I panicked, and I started texting my husband this is sketchy and I was texting him, abort, abort."</p>

<p>Even though the flight landed safely and no one was unharmed, Allen said that the reason behind the disturbance is still unknown.</p>

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<p>"That was the worst flight I have been on in a really long time," she said.</p>

<h2><strong>FAA opens investigation into the&nbsp;incident</strong></h2>

<p>The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the cause behind the incident.</p>

<p>"Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the Crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport. The aircraft returned to Tampa after a short time on the ground in Fort Lauderdale. 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 final approach," a statement from Southwest Airlines said.</p>

<p>"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees," it added.</p>

<p>This comes after a similar incident that happened last month when a Boeing 737 also operated by&nbsp;Southwest Airlines descended to less than 500 feet over a town in Oklahoma.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A Southwest Airlines passenger's story has sent chills down people's spine. The passenger from the United States posted a video from a flight that descended alarmingly close to the ocean before it was about to land.

A Southwest Airlines passenger's story has sent chills down people's spine. The passenger from the United States posted a video from a flight that descended alarmingly close to the ocean before it was about to land. Nancy Allen was on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Southwest, flying from Columbus, Ohio, to Tampa, Florida, earlier this month. While the plane was four miles from the runway in Tampa, Flight 425 dropped to 175 feet above the ocean. An air traffic controller had to notify the crew about their extremely low altitude, leading to the plane being diverted to Fort Lauderdale, about 200 miles away. As the passengers started to panic, Allen sent her husband text messages. "I was concerned we were flying in a Tampa storm, so I opened my window," she told WFLA. Watch | US: Donald Trump faces tough nominee Kamala Harris × "I was watching how we were approaching, we were coming around MacDill Air Force Base and I know you can’t fly over MacDill Force Base, it was just a unique approach," she added. The video shot on her phone shows the Boeing plane rising back up after attempting to land in Tampa, then being redirected to Fort Lauderdale. Allen explained that she realised something was wrong at that moment, saying, "I was feeling a little panic. At that moment I panicked, and I started texting my husband this is sketchy and I was texting him, abort, abort." Even though the flight landed safely and no one was unharmed, Allen said that the reason behind the disturbance is still unknown. Also read: Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings' $7mn donation to Kamala Harris triggers boycott calls "That was the worst flight I have been on in a really long time," she said. FAA opens investigation into the incident The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the cause behind the incident. "Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the Crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport. The aircraft returned to Tampa after a short time on the ground in Fort Lauderdale. 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 final approach," a statement from Southwest Airlines said. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees," it added. This comes after a similar incident that happened last month when a Boeing 737 also operated by Southwest Airlines descended to less than 500 feet over a town in Oklahoma. (With inputs from agencies)

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