TULSA, Okla. (AP)--An American Airlines jet plunged about 100 feet to avoid military aircraft, and three flight attendants and two passengers were slightly injured, the airline said Wednesday.
The incident happened feet about 15 miles northwest of Tulsa at 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday on a flight from Oklahoma City to St. Louis, airline spokeswoman Julia Bishop-Cross said.
Flight 490 continued to St. Louis, where it landed safely.
The jet was at 29,000 feet when the airplane's collision alarm system went off, Bishop-Cross said.
"The pilot took the plane off autopilot, the system went off again and ordered a descent," she said. "He descended 50 to 100 feet, then saw three or four jet fighters, military aircraft."
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, said spokesman Roland Herwig.
Herwig said he has heard military F-15 jets were involved in the incident, but hasn't confirmed that.
About 70 aircraft, including F-15 Eagle fighter jets, from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina F-15 Eagle flew to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon, but it was not known if any of those planes were involved.
The aircraft were brought to Tinker to avoid Hurricane Isabel, which is nearing the North Carolina coast.
The incident happened feet about 15 miles northwest of Tulsa at 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday on a flight from Oklahoma City to St. Louis, airline spokeswoman Julia Bishop-Cross said.
Flight 490 continued to St. Louis, where it landed safely.
The jet was at 29,000 feet when the airplane's collision alarm system went off, Bishop-Cross said.
"The pilot took the plane off autopilot, the system went off again and ordered a descent," she said. "He descended 50 to 100 feet, then saw three or four jet fighters, military aircraft."
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, said spokesman Roland Herwig.
Herwig said he has heard military F-15 jets were involved in the incident, but hasn't confirmed that.
About 70 aircraft, including F-15 Eagle fighter jets, from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina F-15 Eagle flew to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon, but it was not known if any of those planes were involved.
The aircraft were brought to Tinker to avoid Hurricane Isabel, which is nearing the North Carolina coast.
