United to pilots: Please don’t crash our planes

A Continental Airlines plane is parked next to United Airlines planes in Chicago
A Continental Airlines plane is parked next to United Airlines planes at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport May 3, 2010.United Airlines parent UAL Corp will buy Continental Airlines Inc for $3.17 billion to form the world's largest carrier, moving to better withstand the hazards that have battered airlines in recent years. REUTERS/John Gress (UNITED STATES - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS) - RTR2DEYI
Photograph by John Gress — Reuters

United Airlines sent a sternly worded safety reminder to its pilots after a series of mistakes in the cockpit, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The early January memo mentioned a handful of recent near-accidents involving United aircraft, including a pilot who had to perform a last-minute maneuver to avoid crashing.

A spokesman for the company told the Journal that the memo represents an effort to be “direct, clear and open with our pilots” about aviation safety.

United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines in 2012; the two now operate under the banner United Continental Holdings. United’s last serious accident was in 1991; Continental’s was in 1987.

United posted $9.3 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2014, a drop of 0.2% year-over-year.