The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident on a United Airlines flight that left two passengers injured when the pilots responded to a midair collision warning. The incident occurred on United Airlines flight 2428, a Boeing 757, which was en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, on September 19.
As the plane descended toward San Francisco International Airport, the flight’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) issued a resolution advisory, prompting the pilots to slow the plane’s descent to avoid a possible collision with another aircraft at a lower altitude. Data from FlightRadar24 showed that the incident occurred at 31,000 feet, with a Southwest Airlines flight 3,000 feet below and a SkyWest flight 1,000 feet below.
During the descent, two passengers were injured, including one who sustained serious injuries and another with minor injuries. Both were taken to the hospital after the flight landed safely in San Francisco. United Airlines confirmed that the seatbelt sign was on at the time of the incident, and one of the injured passengers was out of their seat.
The FAA stated that there was “no loss of safe separation” between the aircraft involved. TCAS alerts are considered critical warnings to prevent midair collisions, and pilots are required to respond immediately. The FAA has classified the incident as an accident, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is gathering preliminary information but has not launched a formal investigation.
This event marks the second time in a month that passengers have been injured on a United Airlines flight. In August, severe turbulence on a flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Chicago forced the plane to divert to Tennessee, resulting in seven injuries. The FAA’s investigation into the latest incident highlights ongoing concerns about in-flight safety and the effectiveness of collision avoidance systems.
