Red Arrows narrowly avoid passenger jet crash

Accident investigators say stunt pilots from the British air force's display team narrowly avoided a collision with a passenger jet.

Britain's Defense Ministry says that air investigators found that nine jets flew within 900ft (274 meters) of a BMI Boeing 737 passenger airliner in June 2008.

Investigators say the lead pilot of the stunt team, known as the Red Arrows, quickly took the air force jets away from the area above Weston-super-Mare, in southwestern England. The stunt jets were 900ft below the airliner and rising when the action was taken.

The passenger plane can carry 158 passengers but it was not clear how many were on board.

The ministry said Saturday that safety recommendations made by investigators have been passed to all air force acrobatic crews.