Latest news with #SteveUlasewicz
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Southwest flight dives to avoid collision in California, passengers ‘screaming', 2 crew hurt
A Southwest Airlines flight had a scare minutes after taking off from Burbank, California, on Friday. The plane suddenly dropped after an onboard alert warned that another aircraft was nearby. Two flight attendants were hurt, and passengers were shaken up. A Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a crash with a Hawker Hunter MK 58, a single-seat fighter jet."(REUTERS) The FAA said, 'Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace.' Southwest said the flight had to 'climb and descend' because of two alerts. A source said the other aircraft involved was a Hawker Hunter MK 58, a single-seat fighter jet. FAA records show it's registered to a company. 'Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision' Passengers described the moment as terrifying. Comedian Jimmy Dore, who was on board, posted on X, 'Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention.' Another passenger, Steve Ulasewicz, told NBC Los Angeles the incident happened about eight minutes into the flight. He said the plane dropped for two seconds, then entered what felt like 'freefall' for eight to ten more seconds. 'People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought the plane was going down,' according to NBC news report. No injuries were reported Southwest said the flight landed safely in Las Vegas. 'No injuries were immediately reported by Customers, but two Flight Attendants are being treated for injuries.' At Harry Reid International Airport, medical staff met the plane. One person was taken to a hospital. FAA records show the Hawker Hunter jet is registered in Newark, Delaware. NBC News has reached out to the company to confirm if the aircraft was theirs. Also Read: Russian plane with nearly 50 on board crashes in eastern Amur region, all feared dead Russian plane crash In a different case, a Russian plane crashed in the eastern Amur region on Thursday. Their were 49 people on board , including six crew members. Russia's emergencies ministry said on Telegram, 'An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya (Russia's civil aviation authority) has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft,'according to Reuters.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
US Plane Plunges 500 Feet In 'Freefall' To Dodge Mid-Air Collision: 'People Were Screaming'
Last Updated: A commercial Southwest Airlines jet suddenly plummeted 475 feet in about 10 seconds to avoid a mid-air collision with an Hawker Hunter plane. A commercial Southwest Airlines jet suddenly plummeted nearly 500 feet to avoid a possibly fatal mid-air collision, shortly after taking off from a Los Angeles airport on Friday, with a frightened passenger saying the aircraft was in a 'freefall". Southwest Flight 1496, a Boeing 737, dropped 475 feet – from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet – just six minutes after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to FlightRadar24 data. A passenger, identified as Steve Ulasewicz, told ABC News that the drastic step was carried out to avoid a mid-air collision. 'Felt a significant drop. The plane was just in a freefall. People were screaming. It was pandemonium," he said, adding that passengers screamed as the plane dropped for about 10 seconds. Comedian Jimmy Dore was on the flight, relaying that he and several other flyers were tossed about the cabin during the startling descent. 'Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport. Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on the ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention," he said on X. 'Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us." In a statement, Southwest said the flight continued to its destination of Las Vegas, 'where it landed uneventfully." The airline added that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration 'to further understand the circumstances" of the event. The pilot told passengers in an onboard update after the scare that the plane used software to make the evasive move, according to Ulasewicz. 'Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace," the FAA said. 'The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 11 am local time on Friday, July 25." Another aircraft, a Hawker Hunter plane, was near the Southwest plane at approximately 14,633 feet. Southwest reported that two flight attendants sustained injuries during the urgent, life-saving manoeuvre, while all passengers remained unharmed, according to the New York Post. The pilots of the Hawker Hunter said they sighted the Southwest plane, but were not properly instructed by air traffic control, sources told ABC News. The plane is owned by Hunter Aviation International, a UK Military Aviation Authority, according to FlightRadar data. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Southwest flight from Burbank drops hundreds of feet to avoid possible collision
A Southwest flight climbing away from Burbank Airport suddenly descended hundreds of feet Friday afternoon, possibly to avoid a mid-air collision. The plane was at 14,100 feet above Angeles National Forest headed northeast to Las Vegas at 12:03 p.m. when it abruptly dropped to 13,625 feet, data from Flightradar24 showed. The drop of around 500 feet came moments after the plane had been gaining altitude steadily since takeoff, causing tense moments on the plane. Passengers said on social media that they were startled by the move. Steve Ulasewicz, 33, was on the plane. The Woodland Hills resident felt a sudden drop around eight minutes into the flight, and thought it might be bad turbulence. After a two- or three-second pause, the plane went into "free fall for about eight to 10 seconds," he said. "People were screaming. I felt my body come up and out of the chair." In a lifetime of flying, he had never felt anything like it. 'I thought that was it — I thought we were all dead,' he said. 'I don't want to die,' Ulasewicz told his friend sitting nearby during the fall. After the plane leveled out, passengers were confused. Ulasewicz wondered if there was a bird strike or mechanical issue. He waited the "longest two to three minutes of [his] life" before the pilot came on the intercom to announce the near collision, he said. He saw a female attendant with an ice pack on her head. Unlike the passengers, she was not buckled in during the ascent as she prepared to serve beverages. After the terror of the incident, Ulasewicz said the revelation that his plane was involved in a near miss changed his emotions to anger. He listed off a number of similar incidents in U.S. skies in recent months. The commercial flight had to climb and descend to comply with two onboard traffic alerts, Southwest spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said in a statement to The Times. "The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully," the statement said. "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," Lunsford said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident in a written statement. A jet was headed southwest to Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu and was at a similar altitude — 14,525 feet — when the Southwest flight dropped, per Flightradar24. The planes were around five miles apart and within 400 vertical feet of one another, headed in opposite directions, when the Southwest flight took evasive action, flight data on the website showed. A Times analysis of the flight data estimated that the aircraft could have collided within 20 seconds of the diversion if the planes had each held course. The military craft was descending from above as the commercial flight ascended from below, making a collision over the mountains northeast of Santa Clarita possible. The jet stopped its own steady descent and maintained its height for several minutes after the incident. It was unclear whether the jet belonged to the military, as its listed owner was a corporation in Delaware. The naval base did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plane landed in Las Vegas at 12:39 p.m. Friday. There has been growing focus on aviation safety in recent months. A series of radar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport brought massive flight delays in May. Federal officials continue to investigate the January collision in Washington between a commercial jet and a military helicopter that killed 67 people. In San Diego, a private jet crashed, killing all six on board, in June. A federal investigation found the aircraft was flying too low before it hit power lines and slammed into a house. The automated system that provides weather conditions and runway lights weren't operating at the airport before the plane crashed, the report confirmed. This is a developing story and will be updated. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Southwest flight from Burbank drops hundreds of feet to avoid possible collision
A Southwest flight climbing away from Burbank Airport suddenly descended hundreds of feet Friday afternoon, possibly to avoid a mid-air collision. The plane was at 14,100 feet above Angeles National Forest headed northeast to Las Vegas at 12:03 p.m. when it abruptly dropped to 13,625 feet, data from Flightradar24 showed. The drop of around 500 feet came moments after the plane had been gaining altitude steadily since takeoff, causing tense moments on the plane. Passengers said on social media that they were startled by the move. Steve Ulasewicz, 33, was on the plane. The Woodland Hills resident felt a sudden drop around eight minutes into the flight, and thought it might be bad turbulence. After a two- or three-second pause, the plane went into "free fall for about eight to 10 seconds," he said. "People were screaming. I felt my body come up and out of the chair." In a lifetime of flying, he had never felt anything like it. 'I thought that was it — I thought we were all dead,' he said. 'I don't want to die,' Ulasewicz told his friend sitting nearby during the fall. After the plane leveled out, passengers were confused. Ulasewicz wondered if there was a bird strike or mechanical issue. He waited the "longest two to three minutes of [his] life" before the pilot came on the intercom to announce the near collision, he said. He saw a female attendant with an ice pack on her head. Unlike the passengers, she was not buckled in during the ascent as she prepared to serve beverages. After the terror of the incident, Ulasewicz said the revelation that his plane was involved in a near miss changed his emotions to anger. He listed off a number of similar incidents in U.S. skies in recent months. The commercial flight had to climb and descend to comply with two onboard traffic alerts, Southwest spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said in a statement to The Times. "The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully," the statement said. "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," Lunsford said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident in a written statement. A jet was headed southwest to Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu and was at a similar altitude — 14,525 feet — when the Southwest flight dropped, per Flightradar24. The planes were around five miles apart and within 400 vertical feet of one another, headed in opposite directions, when the Southwest flight took evasive action, flight data on the website showed. A Times analysis of the flight data estimated that the aircraft could have collided within 20 seconds of the diversion if the planes had each held course. The military craft was descending from above as the commercial flight ascended from below, making a collision over the mountains northeast of Santa Clarita possible. The jet stopped its own steady descent and maintained its height for several minutes after the incident. It was unclear whether the jet belonged to the military, as its listed owner was a corporation in Delaware. The naval base did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plane landed in Las Vegas at 12:39 p.m. Friday. There has been growing focus on aviation safety in recent months. A series of radar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport brought massive flight delays in May. Federal officials continue to investigate the January collision in Washington between a commercial jet and a military helicopter that killed 67 people. In San Diego, a private jet crashed, killing all six on board, in June. A federal investigation found the aircraft was flying too low before it hit power lines and slammed into a house. The automated system that provides weather conditions and runway lights weren't operating at the airport before the plane crashed, the report confirmed. This is a developing story and will be updated. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Arab Times
6 days ago
- General
- Arab Times
Passenger panic as Southwest jet plunges 500 feet in airspace near miss
NEW YORK, July 26: A Southwest Airlines flight departing from Burbank Airport experienced a sudden mid-air drop of nearly 500 feet on Friday afternoon, potentially to avoid a collision with another aircraft, according to flight data and passenger accounts. At 12:03 p.m., the aircraft was flying at 14,100 feet above the Angeles National Forest en route to Las Vegas when it unexpectedly descended to 13,625 feet, as shown by Flightradar24 data. The aircraft had been climbing steadily since takeoff before the abrupt drop occurred, startling passengers on board. One of the passengers, Steve Ulasewicz, 33, of Woodland Hills, described the moment as a terrifying experience. Around eight minutes into the flight, he felt what he initially thought was turbulence, followed by a sudden free fall lasting about eight to ten seconds. 'People were screaming. I felt my body come up and out of the chair,' Ulasewicz recalled. 'I thought that was it — I thought we were all dead.' As the aircraft stabilized, confusion spread among passengers. Ulasewicz noticed a flight attendant holding an ice pack to her head—she had not been seated or buckled in during the ascent as she was preparing beverage service. It took two to three minutes before the pilot addressed passengers, informing them of a near miss with another aircraft, according to Ulasewicz. The emotional shock turned into frustration as Ulasewicz cited other recent near-collision incidents across U.S. airspace. 'It was terrifying,' he said. 'Then it became anger.' Southwest Airlines later confirmed the plane responded to two onboard traffic alerts and had to adjust its altitude accordingly. 'The flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully,' said spokesperson Lynn Lunsford in a statement to The Times. 'Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances.' While no passenger injuries were immediately reported, two flight attendants were being treated for injuries. The FAA issued a statement confirming it is investigating the incident. Flightradar24 data also showed a jet heading southwest toward Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu at an altitude of 14,525 feet during the time of the Southwest aircraft's descent. The planes were flying in opposite directions, approximately five miles apart and within 400 feet vertically, when the commercial jet took evasive action. Analysis of flight data suggested the two aircraft could have come dangerously close—within 20 seconds of each other—had both continued on their original flight paths. The other aircraft, which began descending from above as the Southwest flight ascended, paused its descent after the near encounter. The jet's ownership was listed under a Delaware corporation, and it remains unclear whether it was military-operated. Naval Base Ventura County did not immediately respond to inquiries. The Southwest flight landed safely in Las Vegas at 12:39 p.m. This latest event adds to growing concerns over aviation safety. In May, radar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport caused widespread flight disruptions. In January, a collision between a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter in Washington claimed 67 lives. In June, a private jet crash in San Diego killed all six people on board; investigators later revealed the plane had been flying too low before hitting power lines and crashing into a home. The airport's automated weather and lighting systems were found to be non-operational at the time. Federal authorities continue to scrutinize these incidents as they seek to improve aviation safety standards.
