United Airlines fligt | File Image
United Airlines flight from Nigeria to the U.S. was forced to turn back after ‘unexpected aircraft movement’
By Valentine Amanze
Danger averted as at the weekend as a United Airlines flight from Nigeria to the U.S.made an emergency landing following a technical issue.
Though multiple injuries were recorded, there was no loss of lives in the incident in Lagos early Friday.
The flight from Lagos to Washington, DC. experienced “an unexpected aircraft movement,” according to Business Insight report.
Besides, six people were taken to hospital with injuries but had been discharged, the airline stated, without disclosing the name of the hospital.
The flight was turned back after the aircraft — a Boeing 787-8 — experienced a technical issue and “an unexpected aircraft movement,” the airline said.
After diverting, United Airlines Flight UA613 landed safely back in Nigeria.
Four passengers and two flight attendants were taken to hospital with injuries but had been discharged, United Airlines said in a statement.
Also read: Bird strike forces Abuja-bound plane back to Maiduguri Airport
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that an additional 27 passengers and five crew members sustained minor injuries.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show scenes on board the aircraft.
The footage shows food and items strewn across the cabin with the sound of panicked passengers in the background.
Two-hundred-and-forty-five (245) passengers were on board the flight, as well as eight flight attendants and three pilots.
Flight data from Flightradar24 shows that the plane abruptly dropped speed twice during the flight, at one point slowing from over 500 knots to 40 knots.
United Airlines said that it was working with U.S. and Nigerian Aviation authorities to investigate the cause of the issue.
FAAN said that the aircraft did not suffer “any major damage.”
The Boeing 787-8 in question, registered as N27903, was built in 2012.
In 2024, the FAA ordered hundreds of Boeing 787s to undergo inspections after a Latam Airlines jet suddenly dropped in midair.
Boeing did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular working hours.
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