United Airlines suffers 11th mechanical issue in two weeks

The variety of mechanical points skilled by United Airways planes prior to now two weeks has apparently elevated to 11, as a reader wrote to Newsweek of an incident on her flight.

“I used to be on a flight final night time, EWR to Heathrow UA14,” the reader wrote, describing her March 18 journey from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport in New Jersey to London.

She continued: “Roughly 40 minutes after takeoff, we have been informed we wanted to show round because the wheels weren’t retracting. We headed again to Newark, ready to brace for touchdown, however in the end had a secure touchdown. One other airplane was introduced for us after we landed in Newark.”

FlightAware, a flight-tracking web site, exhibits that the flight took off from Newark at 8:22 p.m. EDT, behind its scheduled departure time of seven:55 p.m., and returned to EWR at 10:06 p.m. Newsweek contacted United Airways to substantiate the mechanical subject by electronic mail exterior of regular working hours.

Previous to this incident, Newsweek counted a complete of ten different incidents occurring on United Airways planes that took off from or landed in U.S. airports prior to now two weeks.

Scott Kirby, the CEO of the Chicago-based airline, addressed the latest string of incidents Monday in a message to United’s prospects. He stated the corporate was investigating every case and utilizing the findings to study the “proper classes” and “proceed to run an operation that places security first.”

“Sadly, prior to now few weeks, our airline has skilled numerous incidents which can be reminders of the significance of security. Whereas they’re all unrelated, I need you to know that these incidents have our consideration and have sharpened our focus,” Kirby wrote.

The corporate might be updating its security trainings and procedures throughout all staff on high of already deliberate modifications, together with an additional day of in-person coaching for all pilots beginning in Might, in keeping with the CEO.

These are the ten different recognized incidents the airline has skilled prior to now two weeks:

March 4: A flight from Houston to Fort Myers, Florida, made an emergency touchdown after an engine fireplace.March 4: The identical day because the engine fireplace, one other United Airways airplane sure for San Francisco from Honolulu skilled engine failure mid-flight, however it landed safely.March 7: A airplane sure for Osaka, Japan, from San Francisco misplaced a tire throughout takeoff.March 8: A flight from San Francisco to Mexico Metropolis made an emergency touchdown in Los Angeles due to a hydraulics downside.March 8: A second incident the identical day because the emergency touchdown in Los Angeles noticed a United Airways plane roll off a runway earlier than getting caught in grass at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.March 9: A airplane heading for Salt Lake Metropolis was compelled to return to Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport due to a upkeep downside.March 11: A flight sure for San Francisco needed to return to Sydney due to a upkeep subject.March 14: A airplane from Dallas–Fort Value arrived in San Francisco with a “small quantity of smoke” and a hydraulic leak.March 15: A United Airways airplane that flew from San Francisco to Oregon was discovered to be lacking an exterior panel upon touchdown.March 18: A United Airways flight sure for Osaka, Japan, was grounded at San Francisco Worldwide Airport due to a mechanical failure.

This checklist beforehand appeared in one other Newsweek article exhibiting a map of the incidents.