Southwest Airlines Flight Headed to Las Vegas Takes Dramatic Plunge in Response to Nearby Aircraft

Southwest Airlines Flight Headed to Las Vegas Takes Dramatic Plunge in Response to Nearby Aircraft
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 airplane prepares to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on July 10, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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LAS VEGAS—A Southwest Airline jet heading to Las Vegas from Southern California took a dramatic plunge shortly after takeoff Friday in response to an alert about a nearby plane, sending some passengers flying out of their seats and injuring two flight attendants.

The plane suddenly jolted shortly after takeover then felt like it was falling, said Stef Zamorano, who was flying to Las Vegas with her husband to celebrate his birthday.