United Los Angeles to Tokyo Flight with 787 Makes Emergency Landing

LOS ANGELES— A United Airlines (UA) flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) was forced to divert mid-flight due to a medical emergency involving a crew member. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating as flight UA32, was rerouted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

In a related development, another Tokyo-bound United Airlines service from Seattle (SEA) also diverted to Los Angeles (LAX), resulting in a swap of destinations for both long-haul flights. Both aircraft shared the same registration—N29978—highlighting a possible operational reassignment following the initial incident.

Photo: JFK Spotting

United Flight Makes Emergency Landing

On July 12, 2025, United Airlines flight UA32, scheduled to operate from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), diverted to Seattle (SEA) following a medical emergency.

ACARS data confirmed the reason as a “medical diversion,” with the aircraft landing at 14:00 UTC, well before its scheduled arrival in Tokyo.

The same aircraft—Boeing 787-9 (N29978)—was also scheduled to operate United flight UA008 from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) on the same day. This flight, however, was redirected to Los Angeles (LAX), arriving at 14:00 UTC.

The inversion of destinations between the two flights suggests a logistical workaround by United to reposition the aircraft post-diversion.

Photo: By Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – N27957 United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner s/n 36409, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62340180

Injury to Crew Member Triggers Emergency

The primary reason behind the diversion of UA32 was an in-flight medical emergency involving a flight attendant.

According to ACARS communications relayed to dispatch, the crew declared a medical diversion at 23:00 UTC and coordinated a landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). No additional emergency support or evacuation was reported upon landing.

Passengers were subsequently informed that the continuation to Tokyo would be canceled, and they would be rebooked on a new segment departing the following day. United Airlines has not officially commented on the crew member’s condition.

Photo: By Anna Zvereva – https://www.flickr.com/photos/130961247@N06/49735427336/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88934518

Long-Haul Disruption Affects Two Routes

The unusual dual diversion not only delayed both Tokyo-bound flights but also raised operational challenges.

Passengers from both Seattle (SEA) and Los Angeles (LAX) experienced significant disruptions, including itinerary changes and overnight delays.

While diversions for medical reasons are not uncommon, the aircraft’s dual role in both routes—changing direction mid-air and reversing destinations—adds a rare twist.

Such occurrences require rapid coordination between airline operations, airport authorities, and ground medical teams to minimize safety risks and passenger inconvenience.

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