United airliner reports near-collision with Stealth fighter

U.S. Air Force Stealth fighter

From Charles Feldman
CNN Correspondent

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- United Airlines said one of its Boeing 757 airliners had a near-collision over Southern California on Thursday morning with a military jet believed to be a stealth-design Air Force F-117 fighter.

A spokesman told CNN that the Air Force was investigating whether the military plane was an F-117 from nearby Edwards Air Force Base.

No injuries were reported and the flight, with 166 passengers and a crew of seven aboard, arrived in Boston at 4:36 p.m., two minutes behind schedule, according to the United Internet Web page.

United Flight 174 departed from Los Angeles International Airport at 8:38 a.m. (11:38 a.m. ET) and was cleared to climb to an altitude of 15,000 feet by air traffic control, said airline spokesman Matt Triaca.

As the civilian jet continued its climb, Triaca said, its on-board collision avoidance system indicated the presence of another aircraft where it should not have been. The United jet had to level off at 10,800 feet.

Triaca said the Air Force jet was believed to be an F-117. He said it "was close" and described it as an "air miss."

There was no immediate comment from the Air Force.

Jerry Snyder, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Hawthorne, California, told CNN the FAA had confirmed only that the "pilot believed he was in a near mid-air collision situation." He said the pilot believed the other aircraft was an Air Force stealth jet.

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United Airlines
The U. S. Air Force
 •  F-117A Nighthawk
Boeing 757 Family
FAA

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