Breaking: British Airlines jet seconds from disaster in US 'near collision'

A packed British Airways jet was just seconds from disaster after plummeting out of the sky in a dramatic near miss over America, it has emerged.

BA flight 2166 carrying 175 terrified passengers, three pilots and 11 crew plunged 600 feet in a bid to avoid collision with another plane above it.

Two passengers and four crew members were injured in the dramatic incident which took place at 16,500 feet just 15 minutes after take off from Tampa in Florida.

US air traffic controllers had just seconds earlier told the BA flight to start ascending from 16,000ft to 20,000ft when the emergency happened.

The emergency collision avoidance system on the Boeing 777 plane kicked in over the Atlantic Ocean, causing lights to flash and an alarm to sound in the cockpit, with the pilot hearing the words "descend,descend,descend."

The descent was so sudden that some of the crew members left the floor, went into "freefall" and hit their heads on the ceiling of the plane as it plummeted.

Others slammed into the bulkheads. All four crew were stood down from their duties while being treated for bruises on board in the Club cabin for the remainder of the flight.

They were met by paramedics when the plane landed at London Gatwick.

Injuries included back pains, bruises and swelling to arms and hands,

BA confirmed last night that the near miss is now being formally investigated by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

It said its pilots had acted properly and professionally but had been under the authority of US air traffic controllers when the emergency occurred.

Staff were praised for their handling of the emergency.

One eyewitness said: "I was on the Tampa flight. About 15 minutes into the climb the aircraft suddenly dropped out of the sky."

"Luckily all of other passengers were all still strapped in. But unfortunately the cabin crew were starting to prepare for service and were badly injured."

"At least four were so bad that they were unable to continue working."

The eye-witness said: "The captain came on and apologised saying that he had to take emergency evasion action to avoid a collision with another aircraft above him."

"There was a paramedic on board who apparently said 'It will be OK to continue but it was touch and go as to whether they return to Tampa."

BA confirmed that one of the forward Club class cabins was used as an impromptu sick-bay in which the injured stewardesses were treated and allowed to recuperate.

The eyewitness said: "I have been a frequent flyer for over 40 years and it is the scariest thing I have ever experienced."

"I'm off now to change my underwear."

Another said: "It felt like turbulence in the Club cabin but of course the poor guys and girls at the back got their freefall experience."

The stricken BA plane left Tampa, Florida at 6.30pm on Tuesday October 10 and landed at Gatwick at 8am on Wednesday October 11th. But details have only today emerged.

A BA spokesman said: "Our pilots were under the control of US air traffic controllers when the incident happened."

"They had been asked to ascend from 16,000ft to 20,000ft, but then told to hold at 16,500ft. At the same time the emergency collision avoidance system - TCAS- told our crew to descend. They followed this command."

BA said it did not know the identity of the other plane involved in the near miss - or how close - only that it had been above their plane.

Collision avoidance systems are programmed only to operate when a collision is likely and the safe space between aircraft - whether horizontally or vertically, has been compromised.

BA said: "We have filed a report with the US Federal Aviation Authority which is investigating."

[link to www.dailymail.co.uk]