A PASSENGER on board the Southwest flight that plummeted mid-air to avoid a second plane has revealed the moment screams filled the cabin.
Flight 1496 departing from Hollywood Burbank Airport in California experienced a “nose dive” en route to Las Vegas, causing passengers to be thrown from their seats.
The aircraft later landed safely but two flight attendants were injured in the terrifying moment.
Caitlin Burdi, who was onboard, spoke to Fox News about how screams filled the cabin moments after take off around 11 am.
“It was terrifying. We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash,” she said.
Burdi, who is a seasoned traveler and knows the route well, initially thought they were experiencing bad turbulence.
“We descended quite a bit, and I noticed everyone around me seemed to think it was fine. But then, within seconds, it felt like the Tower of Terror ride as we dropped 20 to 30 feet, and people were screaming – it was terrifying.”
“I just recall [the pilot] saying, ‘We nearly collided with another plane, and I had to make an emergency maneuver downward since we lost communication with the air traffic controller,” she recounted.
“Thank you to our pilot,” she said, noting how passengers were left shaken and in shock after the ordeal.
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said that the crew “responded to two onboard traffic alerts…requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.”
The airline confirmed that the two injured flight attendants are being treated for their injuries and no customers were hurt.
Comedian Jimmy Dore who was also onboard wrote on X how the pilot had to “dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport.”
He described how “people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling”.
An investigation is being carried out between the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA said in a statement that the aircraft “responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace.”
According to a source familiar with the situation, the second plane was a Hawker Hunter MK 58 single-seat fighter jet, NBC News has reported.
The fighter jet is registered to a company, per FAA records seen by the outlet.
Southwest Airlines Full Statement
“The Crew of Southwest Flight 1496 responded to two onboard traffic alerts Friday afternoon while climbing out of Burbank, Cal., requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts.
“The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully.
“Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances.
“No injuries were immediately reported by Customers, but two Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries.
“We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
