By Gregory Wallace and David Williams CNN
(CNN) — A United Airlines 777 leaving Hawaii in December plunged toward the ocean for 21 seconds shortly after takeoff and came within 800 feet of sea level, flight tracking data show.
Neither United nor the FAA indicated anyone was injured on United Flight 1722 on December 18.
The plunge occurred a little over a minute after takeoff, the data show.
The plane lost more than half its altitude and came within 775 feet of sea level, according to the data from FlightRadar24.
The plane gained speed as it dropped 1,425 feet from 2,200 feet before regaining its climb out of Kahului on the island of Maui.
‘Felt like … a roller coaster’
Rod Williams II and his family were sitting near the back of the plane when the Boeing 777 made a terrifying plunge shortly after taking off from Kahului Airport in Hawaii.
Williams told CNN the plane seemed to be flying normally at first, but then he said the plane climbed at “a concerning rate” for a few seconds.
“It felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster. It was at that point,” Williams said. “There were a number of screams on the plane. Everybody knew that something was out of the ordinary, or at least that this was not normal.”
The plane then went into a “dramatic, nose-down” dive for about eight to 10 seconds before it climbed steeply again and resumed normal flight.
United said it conducted an investigation with the FAA and the pilots union “that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training,” adding the investigation is ongoing.
The pilots have a combined 25,000 hours of flight time.
“The United Airlines flight crew reported the incident to the FAA as part of a voluntary safety reporting program. The agency reviewed the incident and took appropriate action,” the FAA told CNN.
Although the weather at the exact time is unclear, the National Weather Service reported the day set a daily record for rainfall at Kahului.
The…
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