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In a spine-chilling revelation, flight tracking data has shown that a United Airlines 777 that left Kahului Airport in Hawaii in December plunged towards the ocean for 21 seconds shortly after take-off. The plane came within around 800 feet of sea level.

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The incident on United Flight 1722 happened on December 18 and neither the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) nor the airline indicated that the incident caused any injuries. The incident was reported by website Air Current and is coming to light only now.

The plunge had occurred around a minute after take-off. FlightRadar24 data shows that the plane lost more than half its altitude and came within 775 feet of sea level. It gained speed as it dropped 1,425 feet from 2,200 feet. Luckily, it regained its climb out of Kahului on the island of Maui.

Also Read | Four hospitalised after United Airlines flight cabin catches fire from laptop battery

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United has said that it conducted an investigation into the matter with the FAA and the pilots union. The probe "ultimately resulted in the pilots receiving additional training,” the airline said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The pilots have a combined 25,000 hours of flight time.

The FAA told CNN, “The United Airlines flight crew reported the incident to the FAA as part of a voluntary safety reporting program. The agency reviewed the incident and took appropriate action." 

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A passenger told CNN the Boeing 777 seemed to be flying normally at first, but then it climbed for a few seconds and "felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster". 

"Everybody knew that something was out of the ordinary, or at least that this was not normal.”

It then made a “dramatic, nose-down” dive for about eight to 10 seconds before climbing steeply again and resuming normal flight.

(With inputs from agencies)

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