Latest news with #flightSafety
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Southwest flight drops 475 feet to avoid 'midair collision' with Hawker Hunter
A Southwest flight rapidly descended 475 feet to avoid a Hawker Hunter aircraft on Friday, according to flight tracking data and passengers on the plane. About six minutes after Southwest flight 1496 took off from Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles County, it abruptly descended from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet, according to flightRadar24. Steve Ulasewicz, a passenger on the flight who said that they experienced what felt like a "significant drop," told ABC News the pilot announced that they had performed the maneuver to "avoid a midair collision." Southwest Airlines said in a statement that two flight attendants are being treated for injuries after the incident. MORE: Southwest Airlines to start charging checked bag fee this week The other plane, a Hawker Hunter with the N number N335AX, was at an altitude of approximately 14,653 feet when the Southwest flight began to descend. A source told ABC News, there were multiple Hawker Hunter aircraft in the area doing a normal operation at the time. 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. When a plane's collision avoidance system detects a possible collision, the plane will either go down or up and the other plane will do the opposite. Preliminary data shows the planes were several miles apart when the pilots received their alerts. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Jewish holiday camp accuses Spanish airline of 'brutality' after 44 children were removed from jet for 'unruly' behaviour and teacher arrested - as parents condemn 'anti-semitic act'
The expulsion of dozens of teenage passengers from a jet in Spain amid reports they were endangering the safety of the flight has sparked a row, with the carrier coming under fire for alleged anti-Semitism. The holiday camp the children were flying with has now accused Vueling of brutality and filed a complaint against the airline. Some 44 French-Jewish students aged between 10 and 15 and several adults were escorted off Vueling flight V8166 as it waited on the tarmac at Valencia airport yesterday ahead of its return to Paris. Footage shared to social media appeared to show one adult member of the group being detained by Spanish civil guard officers in the walkway shortly after she was removed from the jet. It was later revealed that the passengers were members of the Kineret Club, a Jewish summer camp group, and were returning to France after a week-long excursion in Spain. A statement released by the club alleged that the captain of the flight ordered the removal of the group 'without a valid explanation', adding: 'The use of a few words in Hebrew was clearly enough to trigger an extremely serious, collective, humiliating, and discriminatory measure. 'No other circumstance could explain the treatment inflicted on this group of children.' The statement, signed by the club's lawyer Julie Jacob, went on to say it would launch a formal complaint and legal action, claiming that the passengers 'were seated, respecting the rules and the staff... they did not pose any disturbance to public order or flight safety'. This triggered an outcry in Israel, with Minister of Diaspora Amichai Chikli accusing Vueling and Spanish law enforcement of antisemitism, saying the kids were removed after 'singing Hebrew songs on the plane' and accusing Vueling staff of declaring Israel a 'terrorist state', without providing evidence. One of the minors on the flight told AFP: 'One of my friends shouted a word in Hebrew because he was still a bit in holiday-camp mood.' He added: 'Perhaps he said it too loudly.' A mother whose 17-year-old son was on the flight is said to have told AFP that the she 'could not see what could have justified' the incident and claimed the children 'were disembarked like dogs'. The club says it has now filed an official complaint against the airline. It also says it denies allegations by Vueling that 'incidents were caused by the minors' and has accused the company of 'brutality. A statement released by the club read: 'The facts are clear, serious, established and corroborated by multiple testimonies. They describe a scene of rare, unjustified, and clearly biased brutality: 44 children were removed from the aircraft, without a valid explanation, on the orders of the captain. 'These children, supervised by 7 adults, had just finished a cultural stay; they were seated in their seats, respecting the rules and the staff. No incident, no threat, no inappropriate behaviour was reported. 'On the contrary, several independent passengers on the plane wrote statements confirming that the children did not pose any threat to public order or flight safety. 'In this context, the attitude of the crew and the brutality of the intervention of the Spanish law enforcement, which led to the disembarkation without accompaniment, without care, without accommodation or food, arouse legitimate indignation.' In response to the backlash yesterday, a Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. Vueling shared a lengthy statement rejecting allegations of anti-Semitism 'A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behaviour and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's behaviour was related to the religion of the passengers involved.' 'This group mishandled emergency equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring instructions from cabin crew. 'Despite multiple warnings, this inappropriate behaviour persisted, which forced the crew to activate established security protocols,' the statement read, adding that Spain's civil guard took the decision to remove the passengers after being notified by the captain. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's decision related to the religion of the passengers involved. This decision was taken solely to ensure the safety of all passengers,' it said. Spain's Civil Guard confirmed all the passengers removed from the plane were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved in the removal operation and the arrest of one member of the party were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. The woman arrested following her removal from the aircraft was said to be one of the directors of the club, according to Israeli media, but that has not been confirmed. It also said that the group was expelled from the flight 'without care, escort, accommodation or food'. The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel. A spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later on Thursday. The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain today expressed concern about the incident, calling on Vueling to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane. 'The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,' the organisation said.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Dozens of Jewish children are removed from flight for being 'unruly' with summer camp teacher arrested - as airline denies anti-semitism claims
The expulsion of dozens of teenage passengers from a jet in Spain amid reports they were endangering the safety of the flight has sparked a row, with the carrier coming under fire for alleged anti-Semitism. Some 44 French-Jewish students aged between 10 and 15 and several adults were escorted off Vueling flight V8166 as it waited on the tarmac at Valencia airport yesterday ahead of its return to Paris. Footage shared to social media appeared to show one adult member of the group being detained by Spanish civil guard officers in the walkway shortly after she was removed from the jet. It was later revealed that the passengers were members of the Kineret Club, a Jewish summer camp group, and were returning to France after a week-long excursion in Spain. A statement released by the club alleged that the captain of the flight ordered the removal of the group 'without a valid explanation', adding: 'The use of a few words in Hebrew was clearly enough to trigger an extremely serious, collective, humiliating, and discriminatory measure. 'No other circumstance could explain the treatment inflicted on this group of children.' The statement, signed by the club's lawyer Julie Jacob, went on to say it would launch a formal complaint and legal action, claiming that the passengers 'were seated, respecting the rules and the staff... they did not pose any disturbance to public order or flight safety'. This triggered outcry in Israel, with Minister of Diaspora Amichai Chikli accusing Vueling and Spanish law enforcement of antisemitism, saying the kids were removed after 'singing Hebrew songs on the plane' and accusing Vueling staff of declaring Israel a 'terrorist state', without providing evidence. In response, a Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. 'A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behaviour and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's behaviour was related to the religion of the passengers involved.' 'This group mishandled emergency equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring instructions from cabin crew. 'Despite multiple warnings, this inappropriate behaviour persisted, which forced the crew to activate established security protocols,' the statement read, adding that Spain's civil guard took the decision to remove the passengers after being notified by the captain. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's decision related to the religion of the passengers involved. This decision was taken solely to ensure the safety of all passengers,' it said. Spain's Civil Guard confirmed all the passengers removed from the plane were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved in the removal operation and the arrest of one member of the party were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. The woman arrested following her removal from the aircraft was said to be one of the directors of the club, according to Israeli media, but that has not been confirmed. Vueling shared a lengthy statement rejecting allegations of anti-Semitism Club Kineret alleged in its statement that it had collected written statements from other passengers on the plane 'confirming that the children did not pose a threat to public order or flight safety'. It also said that the group was expelled from the flight 'without care, escort, accommodation or food'. The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel. A spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later on Thursday. The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain today expressed concern about the incident, calling on Vueling to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane. 'The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,' the organisation said.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Incredibly brave widowed grandma filmed stopping lunatic from trying to open airplane door in mid-air
A brave army veteran on a trip to meet her new grandson flew into action to stop an unhinged plane passenger from opening an emergency door in mid-air. Nicole Pruitt was on the Delta Airlines flight from her home in Georgia to Tucson, Arizona, on July 16 when the terrifying ordeal unfolded. The widowed grandma, who served in the US Army for 26 years, recounted that a female passenger said she needed get off the plane mid-flight after speaking with God, KOLD reported. The unidentified woman made a break for the cockpit and main exit - leading Pruitt to intervene and help subdue the woman. 'Nobody else was doing nothing, so I just knew I had to do something,' she told KOLD. 'I've got to make it home to my kids, my children, my grandchildren.' The disturbance caused the flight to be diverted back to Atlanta one hour after it took off. Footage capturing the aftermath showed the passenger lying on the ground with her hands tied behind her back as Pruitt stood over her. The clip went viral on social media, with many praising Pruitt for her heroism. Her son, Tyrique Perry, was in disbelief when his mom texted him to explain what happened. 'She overtook the stewardess, none of the men wanted to help, so my mom said she had to step in,' Perry revealed in a TikTok video. He told KOLD that he wasn't surprised that his mom saved the day. 'Those are kids on that plane that have a whole life to live, those are grandparents on that plane,' he said. 'Just people full of life and potential.' In a separate video, Pruitt recalled the harrowing experience of seeing the passenger running from the back of the plane toward the cockpit. Pruitt said the passenger was getting aggressive with the flight crew and made an ominous threat that she 'didn't want to be on the plane.' The grandmother said the woman told a flight attendant, 'I have a calling and God told me to do it.' The videos gained traction on social media, with many viewers praising Pruitt's bravery and calling on Delta to give her a lifetime of free flights. 'Come on Delta! She needs life time first class tickets!!!!! She LITTERALLY saved everyone!!' one comment read. 'As a flight attendant it is people like Mama Nicky that we are eternally grateful for!!!!' another wrote. 'You probably prevented a devastating act and saved so many lives!! 'You're the definition of a true hero!!' a third added. Pruitt's son started a GoFundMe for the community to show their support and gratitude for her. 'With panic spreading and flight attendants overwhelmed, my mom, a mother, grandmother, daughter, protector, and retired U.S. Army veteran, stood up, stepped forward, and handled it,' the description read. 'She wasn't asked. She wasn't trained for a moment like this. She just knew someone had to act, and she did.' Delta issued a statement on the incident that read: 'Delta sincerely appreciates the actions of our crew and customers for de-escalating this situation. 'We apologize to our customers for the delay and thank them for their understanding.' Law enforcement was notified of the disturbance, but it's unclear if any charges were filed. There were 180 customers on board, two pilots, and four flight attendants.
New York Times
21-07-2025
- General
- New York Times
SkyWest Flight Aborts Landing to Avoid Midair Collision Near Military Base
SkyWest Airlines said on Sunday that one of its passenger jets had aborted a landing in North Dakota last week because another aircraft was in its flight path. After the SkyWest plane landed safely on Friday, the pilot told passengers that he had made an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid hitting a military aircraft, according to a recording of his remarks that a passenger made and shared with The New York Times. The passenger, Monica Green, said in an interview that she was sitting near the front of SkyWest Flight 3788 from Minneapolis to Minot, N.D., when she felt the plane swerve 'harshly' to the right near the end of the trip. The turn was so sharp that she found herself looking out the window, not at the sky, but at the cornfields below, she said. 'My plane keeps circling and not landing,' she texted her husband at the time, according to a screenshot of their conversation. After the plane eventually landed at Minot International Airport, she said, the pilot came into the cabin and told the passengers that he had turned to avoid hitting a military aircraft. She said the mood felt eerily calm. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver,' a man she said was the pilot can be heard saying in the video recording she made from her seat. 'It caught me by surprise. This is not normal at all.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
