Shocking plunge by Southwest flight was to avoid another aircraft

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Passengers aboard a Southwest Airline jet that took a dramatic plunge to avoid an oncoming aircraft were told by the pilot that they nearly struck another plane before landing safely in Las Vegas.

The Boeing 737 jet dropped hundreds of feet in a little over 30 seconds during a flight on Friday, according to a flight tracking website.

Caitlin Burdi, who was on the flight, said it took a short plunge and then a more drastic drop as passengers screamed in terror.

“We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash,” Burdi told Fox News Digital in an interview at the Las Vegas airport. She said the pilot told passengers they had nearly collided with another plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the flight, Southwest 1496, was responding to an on board alert ab