United flight nearly plunged into Pacific Ocean near Maui
FILE – A United Airlines jetliner taxis to a runway for take off from Denver International Airport, Dec. 27, 2022. Federal investigators are seeking more information about an incident in which a United Airlines plane dropped to within about 800 feet of the ocean surface after taking off from Hawaii. United says the two pilots are undergoing additional trying. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 that the investigative agency is still seeking information about the Dec. 18 incident. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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(NewsNation) — In the latest incident in a string of near-misses for the airline industry, a United Airlines flight nose-dived toward the Pacific Ocean, coming within 800 feet of disaster.
The incident occurred on Dec. 18 but was not reported until recently. Shortly after takeoff, a United Boeing 777-200 began to nose-dive toward the Pacific Ocean. The flight, from Maui to San Francisco, took off normally despite stormy weather, before descending toward the water.
Congress is questioning the aviation industry about safety after a string of near-misses and accidents that have occurred in recent months.
In late December, a ground crew member at an Alabama airport died after being sucked into the engine of a plane, despite having been previously warned to stay farther back. Also in December, five people were hospitalized after being injured by turbulence on a flight from Hawaii to Houston.
In January, two planes narrowly missed colliding on the runway at JFK International Airport in New York, and a mid-air near-miss happened at the Austin airport in Texas in February. On Feb. 11, a plane collided with a bus at Los Angeles International Airport, injuring five.
The United Airlines incident was unknown until a report appeared in the industry publication The Air Current. According to that reporting, the incident may not have been noticed by air traffic control and was not reported to the National Transportation Safety Board.
A spokesperson for United said the pilots on the flight had a combined 25,000 hours of flight time but did not specify which crew member was flying at the time of the incident.
The flight made the rest of the trip safely and no injuries were reported.
A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the investigative agency is still seeking information about the Dec. 18 incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees airlines, said the United crew reported the incident under a voluntary safety-reporting program. The FAA said it reviewed the incident “and took appropriate action” without providing further details.
United said it worked with the FAA and the pilots union on an investigation that led to additional training for the two pilots, which is ongoing. The airline did not explain why the pilots chose to continue the long, over-water flight to San Francisco instead of returning to Kahului Airport on the island of Maui.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
