Investigators Say Miscommunication Between Pilots Caused United Plane to Drop Near Ocean’s Surface

Investigators Say Miscommunication Between Pilots Caused United Plane to Drop Near Ocean’s Surface
A United Airlines jetliner taxis to a runway for take off from Denver International Airport on Dec. 27, 2022. David Zalubowski/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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Federal investigators said Thursday that miscommunication between pilots led to a United Airlines jet diving within 748 feet (228 meters) of the ocean’s surface shortly after takeoff from Hawaii in December.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a final report that the crew failed to manage the plane’s vertical path, airspeed, and nose direction after the mix-up between the captain and co-pilot.