Couple’s terrifying ordeal aboard plane that almost crashed
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At this point, you’ve probably read countless travel horror stories online. We know – we’ve read a lot of them too. From unruly and rude passengers to disgusting acts while on board the plane, and lost luggage fiascos have made air travel less appealing these days.
And while those tales are infuriating, this harrowing story about one couple’s flight experience is the stuff of nightmares.
Have you ever had that dream where you fall from a great height, only to wake up at the last minute with a jolt? While they seem realistic, it’s a good thing that they’re only dreams.
Well, for passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 1722 back in December 2022, this was their reality. The plane plummeted towards the sea shortly after take-off and came within 240m of sea level before regaining speed and climbing back to its original course.
Rod Williams II, his wife and two kids – a 10-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son – were sitting near the rear of the Boeing 777, which took off from Kahului Airport in Maui, Hawaii on December 18. A few minutes into its flight, however, the plane took a ‘dramatic, nose-down dive’ for a few seconds.
He recalled the details of what it was like inside the aeroplane during the terrifying plunge.
‘It felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster…There were a number of screams on the plane. Everyone knew that something was out of the ordinary, or at least that this was not normal,’ he told reporters.
Mr Williams said that at that point, he was trying his best to maintain his composure so his kids wouldn’t worry. ‘Nobody really knows what’s going on, but at the same time, you’re concerned,’ he admitted.
He said that he and his wife shared a glance as they sat on either side of their kids during the rapid descent.
‘It’s tense. You don’t really have a chance to speak or to conjure up words. You’re just kind of gripping the seat and praying under your breath.’
‘We were praying for a miracle because we felt like this could be it,’ he said.
The plane plummeted roughly 10 seconds but climbed steeply again shortly after. The flight attendants did their best to comfort the passengers.
In the event of an aircraft emergency, the crew is trained to carry out a number of steps to keep passengers safe and ensure the aircraft can land safely. The first step is to don oxygen masks if necessary. This is because decreased cabin pressure can quickly lead to unconsciousness or death due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen.
Then the crew sends an emergency signal over the radio which will notify air traffic control and any nearby aircraft of the issue, allowing controllers to start preparing for a possible landing.
‘Someone from the cockpit got on the intercom and said, “All right, folks, you probably felt a couple G’s on that one, but everything’s going to be OK. We’re going to be alright.”’
Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident, which had not been publicised until The Air Current reported it. It cited data from FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.
According to reports, it was found that the plane reached about 2,200 ft (670m) before a steep descent at a rate of 8,600 ft (2,621m) per minute, and falling 775 ft (236m).
Mr Williams claimed that the passengers were never informed just how close they came to striking the surface of the ocean and suffering what would have been a catastrophic crash. And that he only discovered the details after they were released by the flight-tracking website.
‘Now that I know, statistically, what had happened, and that we were about 5 to 5.2 seconds from hitting the water, you know, I’m definitely counting my blessings,’ he shared to reporters.
Aviation analysts have called this incident one of the industry’s ‘close calls’.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that they would investigate the incident. This comes after the NTSB previously said that they weren’t planning on launching an investigation. As of writing, it is unclear why they reversed the decision.
The NTSB will share a preliminary report in the coming weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an investigation but has not shared the results of its probe. The agency told reporters that its safety investigations could not be shared with the public because the ‘confidentiality of this program is critical to its success’.
A spokesperson for the airline said that the crew ‘filed the appropriate safety report’ after the plane safely landed in San Francisco.
‘United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association) on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training. Safety remains our highest priority,’ they said.
The spokesperson also revealed that the pilots fully cooperated with the investigation, and their training is still ongoing. The pilots flying the plane had 25,000 hours of combined flying time.
Have you had similar experiences while on a flight before? Please share your stories with us in the comments!
And while those tales are infuriating, this harrowing story about one couple’s flight experience is the stuff of nightmares.
Have you ever had that dream where you fall from a great height, only to wake up at the last minute with a jolt? While they seem realistic, it’s a good thing that they’re only dreams.
Well, for passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 1722 back in December 2022, this was their reality. The plane plummeted towards the sea shortly after take-off and came within 240m of sea level before regaining speed and climbing back to its original course.
Plane passengers felt like they were on a roller coaster ride. Credit: Mohan Reddy
Rod Williams II, his wife and two kids – a 10-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son – were sitting near the rear of the Boeing 777, which took off from Kahului Airport in Maui, Hawaii on December 18. A few minutes into its flight, however, the plane took a ‘dramatic, nose-down dive’ for a few seconds.
He recalled the details of what it was like inside the aeroplane during the terrifying plunge.
‘It felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster…There were a number of screams on the plane. Everyone knew that something was out of the ordinary, or at least that this was not normal,’ he told reporters.
Mr Williams said that at that point, he was trying his best to maintain his composure so his kids wouldn’t worry. ‘Nobody really knows what’s going on, but at the same time, you’re concerned,’ he admitted.
He said that he and his wife shared a glance as they sat on either side of their kids during the rapid descent.
‘It’s tense. You don’t really have a chance to speak or to conjure up words. You’re just kind of gripping the seat and praying under your breath.’
The cabin was filled with multiple screams from passengers. Credit: Pascal Borener/Pexels
‘We were praying for a miracle because we felt like this could be it,’ he said.
The plane plummeted roughly 10 seconds but climbed steeply again shortly after. The flight attendants did their best to comfort the passengers.
In the event of an aircraft emergency, the crew is trained to carry out a number of steps to keep passengers safe and ensure the aircraft can land safely. The first step is to don oxygen masks if necessary. This is because decreased cabin pressure can quickly lead to unconsciousness or death due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen.
Then the crew sends an emergency signal over the radio which will notify air traffic control and any nearby aircraft of the issue, allowing controllers to start preparing for a possible landing.
‘Someone from the cockpit got on the intercom and said, “All right, folks, you probably felt a couple G’s on that one, but everything’s going to be OK. We’re going to be alright.”’
Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident, which had not been publicised until The Air Current reported it. It cited data from FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.
According to reports, it was found that the plane reached about 2,200 ft (670m) before a steep descent at a rate of 8,600 ft (2,621m) per minute, and falling 775 ft (236m).
The incident was reported by a flight tracking website. Credit: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels
Mr Williams claimed that the passengers were never informed just how close they came to striking the surface of the ocean and suffering what would have been a catastrophic crash. And that he only discovered the details after they were released by the flight-tracking website.
‘Now that I know, statistically, what had happened, and that we were about 5 to 5.2 seconds from hitting the water, you know, I’m definitely counting my blessings,’ he shared to reporters.
Aviation analysts have called this incident one of the industry’s ‘close calls’.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that they would investigate the incident. This comes after the NTSB previously said that they weren’t planning on launching an investigation. As of writing, it is unclear why they reversed the decision.
The NTSB will share a preliminary report in the coming weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an investigation but has not shared the results of its probe. The agency told reporters that its safety investigations could not be shared with the public because the ‘confidentiality of this program is critical to its success’.
A spokesperson for the airline said that the crew ‘filed the appropriate safety report’ after the plane safely landed in San Francisco.
‘United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association) on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training. Safety remains our highest priority,’ they said.
The spokesperson also revealed that the pilots fully cooperated with the investigation, and their training is still ongoing. The pilots flying the plane had 25,000 hours of combined flying time.
