Woman swears she'll never fly again after near-crash with jet on horror flight

28 July 2023 , 12:54

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It was just the second time Jerrica had been on a plane in her life (Image: Jerrica Thacker / Facebook)

A passenger who was on a plane for just the second time in her life has recalled the terrifying moment the flight she was on was forced to take "evasive actions" to avoid a crash with an oncoming private jet.

Jerrica Thacker was on board Allegiant Air flight 485 to Lexington, Kentucky, from Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, July 23, when the plane was forced to make a sudden 600 feet climb to avoid crashing. It was just Jerrica's second time on a plane.

"My first flight was my way to Fort Lauderdale, so this was my second flight, going back home," she told Fox News. The 21-year-old said they were warned by the pilot after take off that they may experience some turbulence due to bad weather up north.

But twenty minutes into the flight, Jerrica and the other passengers on board experienced a heart-stopping moment, which they at first thought was just due to bad turbulence. But it turned out to be even more terrifying.

The Airbus A320 was forced to take "evasive actions" after almost colliding with a private Gulfstream jet. Jerrica described how suddenly, while 23,000 feet in the air, the entire plane suddenly felt like it fell for 10 to 20 seconds.

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Jerrica Thacker was left panicked when her flight had to take "evasive action" to avoid an oncoming jet (Jerrica Thacker / Facebook)

"It honestly felt like a roller coaster, like when you come down from the highest point, and then you take a big hill," Jerrica described. "We all suddenly moved up, which to us felt like we moved down."

She added: "And then he had to level the plane back down to the altitude that we were supposed to be at." During the ordeal, Jerrica said her twin sister was crying, while the lady sat next to her began praying.

"I was too scared to move," Jerrica said. "I was holding on to the handrails beside me with my head just facing the front of me, trying to avoid a panic attack."

Two flight attendants, who were taking orders and handing out drinks, fell to the ground during the sudden movement, Jerrica recalled. Just moments later, the pilot came over the intercom and explained what had happened.

He told passengers the sudden jolt was because their plane was on track for a nose-to-nose crash with a private jet. He also said the plane needed to return to Fort Lauderdale since one of the flight attendants was injured in the incident.

The Allegiant Airlines flight was forced to return to Fort Lauderdale due to an injured flight attendant (GC Images)

"Once he came over the intercom, people sort of shut their windows because they were scared to look outside," said Jerrica. "And there were two people that stood up to switch seats with this little girl who was crying, so she could go sit with her mum."

Passengers still had 20 minutes before they landed back in Florida, with Jerrica saying she was "beyond stressed".

"I was already stressed out but knowing that we still had 20 minutes before landing made it 20 times worse", she said.

After they landed safely, Jerrica said a flight attendant told her sister's boyfriend, Jordan, that the pilot's quick actions had saved them. Jerrica said: "She told him that if we had a less experienced pilot we would have been dead."

Allegiant Airlines told passengers on board they will receive a $200 or $300 voucher. But for Jerrica, that experience was enough and she never wants to fly again. She said: "It will go to waste unless my parents want to use it."

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The pilot took "evasive action" after receiving a warning from air traffic control about a jet at the same altitude (INSTAGRAM)

After their near-death experience, Jerrica and her extended family decided to pass on another flight. Instead, they rented a car to make the 14-hour drive back home to Kentucky.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed the incident, saying the Airbus A320 "took evasive action" after the pilot received an alert about another aircraft at the same altitude. In a statement, the FAA said: "Allegiant Air Flight 485, an Airbus A320, took evasive action on Sunday, July 23, after the pilot received an automated alert about another aircraft at the same altitude.

"An air traffic controller in the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center had instructed Flight 485 to turn eastbound at an altitude of 23,000 feet when it cross in front of a northbound Gulfstream business jet."

The FAA said the Gulfstream pilot also took evasive action after receiving an alert from air traffic control. The FAA has said the incident is under investigation, and Allegiant Air deferred to the FAA for additional information.

Fiona Leishman