Two Hurt After Jet Avoids Collision

A United Airlines jet came within a half-mile of a private plane Sunday and was forced to climb 500 feet to avoid it, the airline said. Two crew members were slightly injured.

Flight 1517 from Philadelphia was descending from 15,000 feet when the plane’s traffic alert and collision avoidance system warned the pilot about the other aircraft, the Federal Aviation Authority said.

The pilot of United’s Boeing 737 saw what he described as a twin-engine Cessna, and climbed 500 feet to avoid it, the airline said.

One United flight attendant suffered a strained neck and another suffered a hand cut, the airline said. The plane was carrying 81 passengers and crew members.

The plane made a normal landing at O’Hare International Airport. The FAA was trying to learn the identity of the private plane, said agency spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.