The Southwest flight 1496 to Las Vegas swiftly descended to avoid a midair collision after takeoff from Burbank.

Passengers aboard a Southwest Airline jet that took a dramatic plunge to avoid an oncoming aircraft Friday were told by the pilot that they had nearly struck another plane before landing s

A Southwest Airlines flight dropped several hundred feet in a matter of seconds to avoid a midair collision, after the Federal Aviation Administration said pilots were alerted to another aircraft's presence in the area.

The passenger jet was responding to an alert of another aircraft in the vicinity, federal authorities said. A Cold War-era military plane was nearby at the time.