Passengers rattled, 2 crew injured after Southwest plane descends minutes into flight

Minutes after takeoff Friday, a Southwest flight leaving Burbank, California, rapidly descended because another aircraft was in the area, injuring two flight attendants and frightening passengers, according to officials and those on board.“Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Minutes after takeoff Friday, a Southwest flight leaving Burbank, California, rapidly descended because another aircraft was in the area, injuring two flight attendants and frightening passengers, according to officials and those on board.

“Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 responded to an onboard alert that another aircraft was in the vicinity while in Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace,” the Federal Aviation Administration said. The incident occurred around 11 a.m.

Two onboard alerts required the flight "to climb and descend," Southwest Airlines said in a statement.

The other plane involved in the traffic alert and collision avoidance system alert was a Hawker Hunter MK 58 single-seat fighter jet, a source familiar with the situation said. That jet is registered to a company, FAA records show.

Passengers said they were shaken by the incident, and one said he thought the plane was going to crash.