FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an Allegiant flight that injured a flight attendant and scared passengers when it had to make a sudden climb to avoid crashing into another plane in mid-air.
According to a statement from the FAA, Allegiant flight 485 took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and was on its way to Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday, July 23, when it suddenly had to take "evasive action" after an air traffic controller in the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center alerted the pilot to a Gulfstream business jet flying at the same altitude.
The pilot of the Gulfstream jet was also warned and also maneuvered to avoid a crash. According to reporting from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, passengers were alarmed when the plane suddenly and sharply rose to avoid crashing, and some passengers were even crying.
The FAA said the plane returned to Fort Lauderdale-International Airport to get medical attention for a flight attendant who had lost her balance, fallen, and injured herself during the maneuver. No other injuries were reported.
The FAA is investigating the incident and trying to determine how the planes got so close to each other.
This is the second time this month that Allegiant flights have made Florida news for injuries sustained on board. On July 12, a major patch of turbulence caused two passengers and two flight attendants to fall and suffer injuries while the plane was landing at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.
