'People grabbed their seats': United flight from Vancouver climbs to miss glider
'All of a sudden, the right wing just completely dropped on the plane, and we did a really sharp turn'
A United Airlines flight travelling from Vancouver to Chicago Monday afternoon had a near-collision with a glider over Rockford, Ill., U.S. Federal Aviation Agency said.
The pilot of United Flight 246 reported seeing a glider while flying near Rockford, the FAA said in an emailed statement. The airliner was approaching Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, a passenger said.
The Boeing 737 quickly climbed 122 metres to avoid a collision.
Callum Snape, a passenger on the flight, said the sudden manoeuvre was felt by all on board.
"All of a sudden, the right wing just completely dropped on the plane, and we did a really sharp turn right," he said. "No one screamed, but it was enough that many people grabbed their seats and their armrests.
"I couldn't see what was happening, but I knew that it was out of the ordinary."
The FAA said it will investigate.
The flight path of <a href="https://twitter.com/united">@united</a> #246 as our talented pilot made evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision with another plane on approach to Chicago <a href="https://t.co/rqlE0JNrN2">pic.twitter.com/rqlE0JNrN2</a>
—@CalSnape