A packed British Airways jet was just seconds from disaster
after plummeting out of the sky in a dramatic near miss over
America, it has emerged.

BA flight 2166 carrying 175 terrified passengers, three
pilots and 11 crew plunged 600 feet in a bid to avoid
collision with another plane above it.

Two passengers and four crew members were injured in the
dramatic incident which took place at 16,500 feet just 15
minutes after take off from Tampa in Florida.

US air traffic controllers had just seconds earlier told the
BA flight to start ascending from 16,000ft to 20,000ft when
the emergency happened.

The emergency collision avoidance system on the Boeing 777
plane kicked in over the Atlantic Ocean, causing lights to
flash and an alarm to sound in the cockpit, with the pilot
hearing the words "descend,descend,descend."

The descent was so sudden that some of the crew members left
the floor, went into "freefall" and hit their heads on the
ceiling of the plane as it plummeted.

Others slammed into the bulkheads. All four crew were stood
down from their duties while being treated for bruises on
board in the Club cabin for the remainder of the flight.

They were met by paramedics when the plane landed at London
Gatwick.

Injuries included back pains, bruises and swelling to arms
and hands,

BA confirmed last night that the near miss is now being
formally investigated by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

It said its pilots had acted properly and professionally but
had been under the authority of US air traffic controllers
when the emergency occurred.

Staff were praised for their handling of the emergency.

One eyewitness said: "I was on the Tampa flight. About 15
minutes into the climb the aircraft suddenly dropped out of
the sky."

"Luckily all of other passengers were all still strapped in.
But unfortunately the cabin crew were starting to prepare
for service and were badly injured."

"At least four were so bad that they were unable to continue
working."

The eye-witness said: "The captain came on and apologised
saying that he had to take emergency evasion action to avoid
a collision with another aircraft above him."

"There was a paramedic on board who apparently said 'It will
be OK to continue but it was touch and go as to whether they
return to Tampa."

BA confirmed that one of the forward Club class cabins was
used as an impromptu sick-bay in which the injured
stewardesses were treated and allowed to recuperate.

The eyewitness said: "I have been a frequent flyer for over
40 years and it is the scariest thing I have ever experienced."

"I'm off now to change my underwear."

Another said: "It felt like turbulence in the Club cabin but
of course the poor guys and girls at the back got their
freefall experience."

The stricken BA plane left Tampa, Florida at 6.30pm on
Tuesday October 10 and landed at Gatwick at 8am on Wednesday
October 11th. But details have only today emerged.

A BA spokesman said: "Our pilots were under the control of
US air traffic controllers when the incident happened."

"They had been asked to ascend from 16,000ft to 20,000ft,
but then told to hold at 16,500ft. At the same time the
emergency collision avoidance system - TCAS- told our crew
to descend. They followed this command."

BA said it did not know the identity of the other plane
involved in the near miss - or how close - only that it had
been above their plane.

Collision avoidance systems are programmed only to operate
when a collision is likely and the safe space between
aircraft - whether horizontally or vertically, has been
compromised.

BA said: "We have filed a report with the US Federal
Aviation Authority which is investigating."