United Airlines 787 Pilots Makes U-turn to Newark Airport

1 godzina temu

CHICAGO- A United Airlines (UA) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight was forced to make a U-turn to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) less than an hour after departure due to reported smoke inside the cabin. The aircraft had been operating flight UA1122 to Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

The crew initiated a safe return, dumping fuel before landing. The aircraft was inspected by emergency services and later withdrawn from service for technical checks before reentering operations two days later.

United Airlines 787 Flight Makes U-turn

United Airlines flight UA1122 is a regularly scheduled service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

Operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the route is scheduled three times per week with a block time of around 15 hours.

On August 20, the aircraft registered N27965 departed Newark 75 minutes behind schedule with 253 passengers onboard.

At 32,500 feet, pilots detected an indication of smoke in a cabin compartment and chose to discontinue the climb.

Air traffic control was advised, and fuel dumping was performed over the sea to ensure the aircraft was within a safe landing weight.

The aircraft landed safely back at Newark 55 minutes after departure, using runway 04R. Emergency crews conducted a brief inspection before the jet taxied to its gate.

Reported by Simple Flying, this was the second incident on the same route in August, following an earlier diversion on August 3 caused by a spoiler issue.

Emergency Landing

The Dreamliner touched down safely at Newark just 55 minutes after departure, utilizing runway 04R, which measures 3,048 meters (9,999 feet).

Upon landing, the aircraft paused briefly for inspection by airport emergency services before taxiing to its gate. Passengers disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported.

Emergency crews confirmed that the smoke issue did not escalate into an onboard fire. Still, the aircraft was immediately taken out of service for further inspections and safety checks.

Aircraft Grounding and Return to Service

Following the incident, the Boeing 787-9 was taken out of service for two days. Flightradar24 data shows the jet resumed operations on August 22, departing Newark for Delhi.

According to ch-aviation, the aircraft is 9.55 years old, first flying in February 2016 before delivery to United Airlines the same month.

United Airlines currently operates 45 Boeing 787-9s, with another 143 on order. This variant is configured with 257 seats, divided into 48 business class, 21 premium economy, and 188 economy.

The Dreamliner family, launched with All Nippon Airways in 2011, has seen over 1,100 deliveries worldwide.

United Airlines Flight Schedule

United’s Newark to Cape Town service typically operates three times per week, with a scheduled block time of about 15 hours, nearly 14 of which are spent in flight. Flight UA1122 has faced reliability issues this month, with two notable diversions.

Earlier, on August 3, the same route was forced to turn back due to a spoiler problem. The recurrence of operational disruptions on this specific service underscores the challenges faced by long-haul carriers in maintaining technical reliability over extended routes.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner program entered service in 2011 with launch customer All Nippon Airways (NH). As of today, 1,138 units have been delivered worldwide.

United Airlines remains one of the largest operators of the type, with significant orders still pending. The aircraft is favored for its long range, fuel efficiency, and passenger comfort features, making it ideal for routes like Newark to Cape Town.

Safety Considerations in Operations

Safety remains the top priority in aviation, particularly on ultra-long-haul flights. The decision by United Airlines’ crew to return after detecting smoke ensured that passengers and crew faced no further risk.

While diversions are disruptive and costly, they reinforce the aviation industry’s commitment to prioritizing safety above all else.

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