The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the jolt on a United Airlines flight that injured two passengers when the pilots responded to an onboard midair collision system warning.
United Airlines says as flight 2428 from Newark, New Jersey, was descending into San Francisco International Airport last Thursday, it “slowed its descent to account for another aircraft at a lower altitude.” Both injured passengers were taken to the hospital, United said in a statement.
An FAA incident report says one passenger received serious injuries and another minor injuries last Thursday when the pilots responded to a traffic collision avoidance system resolution advisory or “TCAS RA.”
Collision resolution advisories are treated as extreme warnings of a possible collision with another airplane and pilots are required to act immediately.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows the incident took place at 31,000 feet as the flight was near Lake Berryessa, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. FlightRadar24 says a Southwest Airlines flight was 3,000 feet below the United flight and a SkyWest flight was 1,000 feet below.
In a statement, the FAA – which is responsible for controlling air traffic – said “there was no loss of safe separation.”
Audio from LiveATC.net captured the pilots declaring a medical emergency, telling air traffic controllers in Oakland that “someone might have broken an ankle and there’s passengers that got hurt when we had an RA.”
United Airlines told CNN that the seatbelt sign was on at the time of the incident and one of the injured passengers was out of their seat.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet launched an investigation, but a spokesperson told CNN that the agency is gathering preliminary information.
Thursday’s in-flight incident is the latest incident involving a possible near-collision this month. On September 12, an Alaska Airlines flight had to abort its takeoff in Nashville due to a Southwest flight crossing the same runway. Two days prior, the wingtip of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 hit a smaller regional jet while both planes were taxiing, causing the regional jet’s tail to fall off.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into an incident involving United Airlines Flight 2428. During the flight from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport, a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) warning was triggered. The pilots responded by slowing the aircraft’s descent as a precaution against another plane flying at a lower altitude. This evasive maneuver caused a jolt that injured two passengers.
The flight, which occurred last Thursday, was nearing its final approach into San Francisco when the incident occurred. According to United Airlines, the plane was descending when it encountered another aircraft in the vicinity. As a result, the plane adjusted its descent rate to avoid a potential collision. The injured passengers were immediately taken to the hospital upon landing, with one suffering serious injuries and the other minor injuries.
The FAA’s incident report confirmed that the jolt occurred after pilots responded to a TCAS resolution advisory. These advisories are considered urgent and require immediate action from pilots to avoid midair collisions. According to FlightRadar24, the United Airlines plane was flying at 31,000 feet when the TCAS warning was triggered. At the time, a Southwest Airlines flight was flying 3,000 feet below, and a SkyWest flight was 1,000 feet below. Despite these altitude differences, the advisory required the United pilots to act swiftly.
Although the advisory signaled a potential collision risk, the FAA emphasized that there was no loss of safe separation between the planes. This means that, technically, the flights were never in immediate danger of colliding, but the situation still called for a rapid response from the pilots to ensure safety.
The pilots of United Flight 2428 declared a medical emergency shortly after the incident, according to audio captured by LiveATC.net. The pilots informed Oakland air traffic controllers that a passenger might have broken an ankle, and others had been injured due to the sudden movement of the aircraft. At the time of the jolt, the seatbelt sign was on, but one of the injured passengers had been out of their seat.
United Airlines has confirmed the details and added that the company is cooperating with the FAA’s ongoing investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which typically investigates serious aviation incidents, has not yet launched its own investigation into the matter. However, a spokesperson from the NTSB said the agency is gathering preliminary information to assess whether a formal investigation will be necessary.
This in-flight incident adds to a string of near-collision events reported in recent weeks. For instance, on September 12, an Alaska Airlines flight in Nashville had to abort its takeoff when a Southwest Airlines flight crossed the runway it was using. In another case, the wingtip of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 struck a smaller regional jet while both planes were taxiing, causing the regional jet’s tail to detach. These incidents, along with the United Airlines jolt, highlight the growing concern over potential near-misses in U.S. airspace.
The FAA, which oversees the safe management of U.S. air traffic, has been under scrutiny for several recent air traffic issues. The agency is tasked with ensuring the safe separation of all aircraft in the skies and on the ground, utilizing sophisticated radar systems and air traffic controllers. Despite the FAA’s assurances that safe separation was maintained in this case, the incident underscores the potential dangers of even brief lapses or misunderstandings during flights.
The TCAS system involved in this United Airlines incident is a critical safety tool designed to alert pilots when two aircraft are on a potentially dangerous trajectory. The system works independently of air traffic control and provides pilots with real-time instructions, including changes in altitude or heading, to avoid collisions. While these advisories are rare, they are treated with utmost seriousness when they do occur, as even minor mistakes in responding can lead to tragic outcomes.
In this case, it appears that the United Airlines pilots followed the TCAS advisory as required, and their prompt response likely averted any greater danger. However, the sudden change in the plane’s movement caused by their response led to passenger injuries, which the FAA is now investigating. United Airlines has not provided further details about the specific injuries sustained or the condition of the hospitalized passengers.
In terms of regulatory oversight, both the FAA and NTSB play critical roles in ensuring aviation safety. The FAA’s primary responsibility is to monitor and regulate all civil aviation in the U.S., from certifying aircraft to managing air traffic. The NTSB, on the other hand, focuses on investigating accidents and providing recommendations to improve safety standards. Should the NTSB choose to investigate this incident further, its findings could lead to updated procedures for handling TCAS advisories or addressing in-flight passenger safety during such maneuvers.
As the investigation unfolds, passengers on commercial flights may become more aware of the significance of staying seated with seatbelts fastened during critical phases of flight, especially when advisories like the TCAS are in effect. Though such alerts are rare, the jolt from a sudden maneuver can result in significant injuries, as seen in this case.
Ultimately, the United Airlines incident serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in air travel safety. While modern systems like TCAS provide valuable safeguards, the quick responses required to ensure safety can sometimes have unintended consequences. The FAA’s investigation will likely examine whether any additional measures could have been taken to prevent injuries while maintaining the safe operation of the flight.