The good news for passengers is that United Flight 1722 didn’t slam into the Pacific Ocean. It came close though, after a near vertical nose dive from 2,200 feet. The recovery and power climb back out of the danger zone clocked in at a whopping 2.7 G. Reports are suggesting pilot error. That’s a really big “oops.”
Wild ride for passengers
United Airlines passengers en-route to San Francisco from Maui’s Kahului Airport, on flight 1722, had a wild ride on December 18. Everything was routine when the flight took off at 2:49 p.m., as the plane climbed smoothly to 2,200 feet.
It’s a good thing the captain hadn’t turned off the seatbelt sign yet, because the next 45 seconds had everyone screaming in terror and wondering if those seat cushions really float as well as advertised.
Like an amusement roller coaster at the crest of that first big hill, the nose of the 777-200 pointed straight back down and plummeted at “a rate of over 8,000 feet per minute.” Before the pilots were able to recover control and resume climbing, they were barely 775 feet from the wave tops. Passengers thought they were doomed.
#BREAKING Flight 1722, United 777 does nosedive on 8,700fpm#Hawaii – #USA
On December 18, United Airlines Flight 1722 does a unexplained nosedive on 8,700ft per minute. The plane came within 775 ft from the ocean. The pilots pulled 2.7G’s.@rawsalerts @aircraftrack pic.twitter.com/SqFsQmVeRz
— CaliforniaNewsWatch (@CANews_Watch) February 12, 2023
Right about the same time they realized they might still make it to San Francisco alive, they were crushed into their seats like they were blasting off for orbit. Flight attendants immediately broke out the drinks cart and started passing out complementary alcohol.
Two “people familiar with the incident” told insider publication The Air Current that “the climb produced forces on the aircraft and its occupants that were nearly 2.7 times the force of gravity as the steep descent transitioned to an 8,600-foot-per-minute climb.”
To passengers, the incident seemed to take a lifetime but in actuality, “appears to have lasted no more than 45 seconds.”
Over before they knew it
Air traffic control in Hawaii was surprised because they didn’t notice anything had happened. “Air traffic control tapes show that the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization was not aware of the incident in real time.” It all “occurred in between radio calls.”
While mechanical malfunctions and weather conditions have not been officially ruled out, this incident looks a whole lot like pilot error. That’s not good for United. Crushed and frightened passengers tend to go running straight to the nearest law firm.
Weather may have played a part because there was heavy rain as the plane took off. The day before, another airline reported severe turbulence in the area. Heavy enough to injure around 25 passengers. While weather may have had a role it probably didn’t. Those insiders pointed out that “the UA departure was a Flaps 20 takeoff.”
“There were a number of screams,” a passenger on UA 1722 recalls after the
777 entered a nose dive after departing Maui on 12/18.
A review of flight data puts them just seconds from impacting the water
H/t @jonostrower for the 1st report.
What we know: https://t.co/M5z1WyslPi— Kris Van Cleave (@krisvancleave) February 13, 2023
Flaps are those big tabs at the trailing edge of the wing which provide extra “lift” for take off and landing. They also create “drag” so aren’t used during flight. When flight 1722 departed, theirs were properly set fully in the “down” position.
The mistake appears to have happened once they got to the altitude for switching the flaps back up. Generally that’s done a notch at a time from 20, to 15, then 5 before zero. It seems that the pilot flipped the flaps “from 20 to UP” all at once. That’s not good when you have a plane full of fuel “at maximum gross weight and low speed.”
Basically, the plane seems to have flown too slow to generate enough lift. That’s called a “stall.” The nose drops and there’s nothing the pilot can do until there’s enough air rushing past the wings to regain control. Passengers were saying their prayers between screams.
