Some aircraft are restricted by weight to get up to higher altitudes, usually a thrust-weight issue. Something's broken on the aircraft requiring it to fly at a lower altitude for safety reasons.
How low is too low for a plane?
The Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 91.119 indicates that, except when necessary for departure or landing, the minimum altitude over urban areas is 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and 500 feet AGL over rural areas.
Do airplanes fly lower at night?
Why do planes fly low at night?
Do planes fly lower at night? Technically, no. Day/night has nothing to do with it. If anything, pilots that are flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) might opt to fly higher than during the day to improve their odds and better avoid inadvertently flying near terrain or obstructions that are less visible.
Can planes fly lower?
This is why when you are on a long flight, you will generally hear the captain say something like, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached our cruising altitude of 36,000 feet”. Commercial airplanes can theoretically fly a little higher than this, and of course they can also fly lower if they choose to.