Olivia Asher is a reporter at the New Herald Tribune covering breaking news for the Digital Trends Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Plain Dealer.
May 31 , 2025
San Francisco - On Friday morning, a United Airlines flight preparing for takeoff reportedly came dangerously close to colliding with a Southwest Airlines jet at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Early investigations suggest that the near-miss may have been caused by an extraordinary distraction in the cockpit — a flight attendant allegedly under the influence of drugs, dancing nude.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have both launched formal investigations into the matter, citing serious violations of protocol and potential breaches of air safety regulations.
According to preliminary reports, United Airlines Flight 298, a Boeing 737 bound for Denver, was accelerating on Runway 1L at approximately 7:43 AM when it veered slightly off its designated centerline, coming within what sources describe as “an unsafe distance” of a Southwest jet taxiing on an adjacent runway.
Air traffic controllers quickly issued evasive instructions, and both aircraft stopped safely. No injuries were reported, and all passengers were eventually rebooked or allowed to continue their travel after several hours of delays.
Two anonymous crew members claim that shortly before takeoff, a flight attendant entered the cockpit in an apparent drug-induced state, removed her uniform, and began dancing erratically. The pilots, according to a source familiar with the cockpit voice recordings, were momentarily distracted and failed to execute the correct heading.
United Airlines issued a brief statement: “We are aware of an incident involving Flight 298 and are cooperating fully with authorities. The crew involved has been removed from duty pending the results of the investigation.”
SFO officials also commented on the incident, noting that airfield operations returned to normal within an hour, though they expressed serious concern about potential lapses in United’s crew screening protocols.
The flight attendant in question, whose name has not been released, is reportedly in custody and undergoing medical evaluation. Toxicology results are pending.
Experts say that, depending on the findings, criminal charges and regulatory penalties could follow. The FAA has the authority to impose fines and revoke licenses, and passengers may file civil suits for emotional distress or endangerment.
This incident has reignited debate over the mental health and drug screening protocols in the airline industry, as well as the role of cockpit access and crew conduct during flight operations.
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