2 Passengers Injured After United Airlines Flight Abruptly Slowed Its Descent to Avoid Possible Mid-Air Collision

• United Airlines Flight 2428 had to slow down on approach to San Francisco International Airport to avoid a possible mid-air collision on Thursday, September 19
• Due to the sudden movement, two passengers were injured and taken to the hospital
• The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the incident

Two passengers were injured after a United plane had to suddenly slow its descent at San Francisco International Airport to avoid a potential collision with another nearby plane.

The airline confirmed to PEOPLE that the incident on United Flight 2428 occurred on Thursday, September 19. The plane, which was traveling from Newark, N.J., had begun its descent and had a seat belt sign on when it suddenly moved “to account for another aircraft at a lower altitude,” the airline said.

“Two customers, including one who was out of their seat at the time, reported possible injuries and were transported to the hospital,” a United spokesperson said in a statement. “We are grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.”

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United Airlines planes San Francisco International Airport.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it is investigating the incident.

“United Airlines Flight 2428 responded to a call at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time Thursday, September 19 at the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center that another aircraft was in the vicinity. The United flight landed safely at San Francisco International Airport,” the FAA said in a preliminary statement shared with PEOPLE. “There was no loss of safe separation.”

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A United Airlines plane.

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Although the National Transportation Safety Board has not yet opened an investigation, they confirmed that they are also gathering information about the incident.

United Flight 2428 responded to an alert called a traffic collision avoidance system resolution alert, which is a serious alert for pilots, CNN reports. In the accident, one of the passengers suffered serious injuries, while the other suffered minor injuries, the newspaper said.

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Earlier in September, two Endeavor Air and Delta planes collided at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. However, the incident did not cause any known injuries to crew members or passengers, Delta confirmed at the time.

The September 10 incident resulted in the tail of the much smaller Endeavor being nearly severed from the fuselage. A DeltaA350, the largest aircraft in Delta’s fleet, also suffered wing damage.

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Source: HIS Education