Pilots Respond to Mid-Air Collision Warning

A Unit­ed Air­lines flight from Newark to San Fran­cis­co encoun­tered a mid-air emer­gency when the pilots received a Traf­fic Col­li­sion Avoid­ance Sys­tem (TCAS) alert. In an attempt to avoid a poten­tial col­li­sion, the pilots slowed the plane’s descent, lead­ing to two pas­sen­gers sus­tain­ing injuries.

Injuries During the Incident

Despite the fas­ten seat­belt sign being illu­mi­nat­ed, one pas­sen­ger was out of their seat when the pilots took eva­sive action. As a result, two pas­sen­gers were injured, with one sus­tain­ing seri­ous injuries. Both were trans­port­ed to a hos­pi­tal for treatment.

United Airlines’ Response

In a state­ment, Unit­ed Air­lines expressed grat­i­tude to the crew for their efforts to ensure the safe­ty of the pas­sen­gers and employ­ees on board. The Fed­er­al Avi­a­tion Admin­is­tra­tion has clas­si­fied the inci­dent as an acci­dent and is inves­ti­gat­ing the event.

The Dangers of In-Flight Emergencies

This inci­dent serves as a reminder of the poten­tial risks faced by air trav­el­ers when unex­pect­ed sit­u­a­tions arise dur­ing a flight. While the pilots act­ed to avoid a poten­tial col­li­sion, their actions result­ed in injuries to pas­sen­gers, under­scor­ing the impor­tance of strict safe­ty pro­to­cols and the need for height­ened aware­ness from both crew and passengers.