Rod Williams and his family were headed to San Francisco, the first leg of their journey home after a Hawaiian vacation, when their“Very shortly into the flight itself, the pitch of the aircraft took a dramatic rise,” he said in an interview with NBC Bay Area Monday, soon after the near-miss came to the public's attention and nearly a month after the incident.reveals the United Airlines 777 suddenly dove, falling 7,000 feet per minute.Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
“We’re all looking at each other, looking out the window, grabbing onto the seat, grabbing the hand of the person next to you, praying under your breath and maybe a scream here and there,” Williams said. He has an aviation background and said he had an idea of what was happening, but only on Monday did he learn they were within 800 feet of slamming into the ocean.In a statement, United said, “After landing at SFO, the pilots filed a safety report. Then coordinated with the FAA and ALPA on an investigation that ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training.”