BURBANK : Jetliner Out of Burbank Dives to Avoid Collision
A Southwest Airlines jet carrying 131 passengers from Burbank to Las Vegas lost altitude suddenly to avoid another plane, the airline confirmed Monday. Passengers were spooked but none were injured.
Linda Burke, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines Co., confirmed there was an incident involving Flight 893 Friday afternoon but said she had little other information.
A passenger, Eileen Thompson, said some people panicked at the sudden drop during takeoff from Burbank Airport. She said she heard what sounded like the engines being cut off and then coming back on. Burke said the plane’s traffic collision avoidance system went off, warning the pilot to take evasive action, but it wasn’t clear how far the plane dropped or what kind of plane it dodged.
Thompson said crew members told passengers that it was a close call and that the pilot had saved their lives.
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