LAS VEGASThe pilot of a Southwest Airline jet that collided with an oncoming aircraft reported to the passengers that they almost collided with another aircraft before making a safe landing in Las Vegas.
A flight tracking website reports that during a journey on Friday, the Boeing 737 jet plummeted hundreds of feet in just over 30 seconds.
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As passengers shouted in horror, the plane made a brief fall and then a more severe descent, according to Caitlin Burdi, who was on the flight.
In an interview at the Las Vegas airport, Burdi told Fox News Digital, “We truly believed we were going to crash.” According to her, the captain informed the passengers that they had almost collided with another aircraft.
The airplane, Southwest 1496, was responding to an onboard alert regarding another aircraft in the area, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is looking into it. According to Southwest, the pilot had to climb and then descend after the crew responded to two alerts. Shortly before noon, the aircraft took off from Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Comedian Stef Zamorano, a fellow traveler, reported witnessing a woman who was not wearing a seat belt leap up and down from her seat as a man next her was holding her arm. She stated a woman on the other side of the aisle was in a panic.
She was essentially expressing our collective feelings when she said, “I want to get off this plane.” On Friday, Zamorano told The Associated Press, “I want to be on the ground.” In a panic, another woman expressed her want to exit the aircraft.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, the aircraft was in the same area with a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58 close to Burbank. According to records, the British defense contractor firm Hawker Hunter Aviation is the owner.
Messages asking for comment on Friday and Saturday were not answered by the company.
According to Southwest, the flight proceeded to Las Vegas and touched down without incident. The airline stated that it is collaborating with the FAA to gain a deeper understanding of the incident’s circumstances.
This near-miss is just the most recent event to spark concern following the 67-person fatalities that occurred above Washington, D.C., in January.
