For many people, flying can be a scary experience. It requires you to let go of control and trust that the airline personnel will take care of things. One recent incident in Maui would freak out even the most cool cucumber of flyers. It caused one couple, parents of two children also present on the flight, to pray for a miracle.
Shortly after takeoff on December 18, 2022, United Airlines Flight 1722 did a scary nose dive. Dad Rod Williams II and his family were on board the flight. Rob spoke to CNN about the experience.
Rod described the moment he knew something was wrong. “It felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster. It was at that point,” he said.
Everyone else on board was equally scared. “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,” he recalled.
The plane was bound for San Francisco, but only a minute into the flight, the “dramatic nose dive” occurred. It lasted for several seconds, according to Rod. Everyone on board the plane was terrified.
Rod attempted to put those terrifying moments in words. “When the plane started to nosedive, multiple screams are being let out, at that point. You’re trying your best to maintain your composure — there’s obviously kids on the flight — nobody really knows what’s going on, but at the same time, you’re concerned,” he said.
Rod has some experience in aviation, but even he was unsure what was going on. He studied the subject in college.
“You don’t know if this is an issue, but it was certainly out of the ordinary,” he said.
“It’s tense, you don’t really have a chance to speak or to conjure up words, you’re just kind of gripping the seat and praying under your breath,” he added. Rod spoke to his wife after the event, and they were on the same page. “I asked her later and sure enough … we were praying for a miracle, because we felt like this could be it.”
According to Josh Freed, a United Airlines representative, the fall necessitated further pilot training. “United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association) on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training. Safety remains our highest priority,” he said. “The pilots fully cooperated with the investigation and their training is ongoing.”
Rod did not know until after the fact that the plane had come so close to the water. He is thankful the outcome was good.
“Now that I know, statistically what had happened, and that we were about 5 to 5.2 seconds from hitting the water, you know, I’m definitely counting my blessings,” he concluded.
