United plane crashes into ocean shortly after takeoff from Maui airport

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco plunged about 800 feet into the ocean after takeoff from Kahului Airport, according to new flight information.

The incident happened in mid-December last year and it is only now coming to light.

Several industry websites reported that United Flight 1722 plunged into the ocean after taking off from Kahului Airport on December 18.

Aviation website The Air Current reviewed publicly available data to determine that the plane climbed to 2,200 feet before suddenly descending at a good rate of about 8,600 feet per minute.

The pilots had to climb with forces greater than 2.7 times the force of gravity, meaning the passengers definitely felt it. It was able to recover and return to cruising altitude and continue to California.

Despite such a close call, the airline said they did not automatically report the incident to the NTSB and FAA because the plane was not damaged and no one on board was injured.

It is not yet known what caused this incident. However, the FAA told Hawaii News Now that the flight crew reported the close call as part of a voluntary safety reporting program.

We were told that the agency has reviewed the incident and taken appropriate measures. United Airlines said pilots received additional training after the incident and that training is ongoing.

It also happened on the same day that a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu had a violent crash that left 25 people injured – 6 seriously.

Many passengers shared what they experienced on the flight. So far there has been no word from anyone on the United flight.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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