- A United Airlines flight plummeted to just 800 feet above the Pacific Ocean late last year, data shows.
- The incident occurred the same day 25 people were injured from extreme turbulence on a Hawaiian Airlines flight.
A United Airlines flight taking off from Hawaii suddenly plunged to just 800 feet above the Pacific Ocean late last year, according to data from FlightRadar24.
The data shows the Boeing 777-200 — which was flying from Maui to San Francisco on Dec. 18 — was at an altitude of 2,200 feet before suddenly dropping in just 18 seconds.
The plane came within 775 feet of hitting the ocean.
Air traffic control records show no discussion of the sudden plunge between the flight's pilots, according to The Air Current, which first reported on the shocking drop.
United Airlines said in a statement that after the pilots landed the plane at San Francisco International Airport, they filed "the appropriate safety report."
"United then closely coordinated with the FAA and ALPA on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional tranining," United said.
According to United, the pilots fully cooperated with the investigation and their additional training is ongoing. They have approximately 25,000 hours of experience between them.
According to the National Weather Service, large parts of the Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding Pacific Ocean were hit with numerous rainstorms, severe storms, and strong winds on Dec. 18.
The incident came on the same day that a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Hawaii experienced extreme turbulence that injured dozens of people.
According to the Hawaiian Airlines pilot, a cloud suddenly "shot up," causing severe turbulence. The turbulence struck about 40 minutes before the flight's landing at Honolulu International Airport, according to The New York Times.
One passenger told Hawaii News Now in December that her mother "flew up and hit the ceiling."
Twenty-five people onboard the flight were hurt.