A United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing not too long into its journey. According to a report by Cleveland 19 News, the aircraft diverted due to engine trouble. Simple Flying has asked United Airlines for comment.
The flight details
The airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, registered as N27266, took off from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Ohio, at 4:43 PM local time on January 5, 2024, and was en route to Denver International Airport (DEN), Colorado, according to Flightradar24 data.
However, due to a reported mechanical issue, the 737 MAX 8 had to divert back to CLE Airport. At the time when the problem was discovered, the aircraft was already flying over Chicago. The airline’s 737 MAX 8 returned to CLE Airport at 6:08 PM.
The aircraft, which experienced mechanical issues, landed safely. Shortly after landing, passengers were deplaned. The Chicago-based airline arranged for another aircraft to transport its passengers to DEN Airport. The next flight to DEN Airport took off at 8:58 PM, utilizing a Boeing 737-700 aircraft. In a comment to Cleveland 19 News, United Airlines said:
“Our team at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport provided assistance to customers of United flight 486 (Cleveland – Denver) today, which returned to Cleveland to address a mechanical issue. We arranged for another aircraft to take our customers to their destination, and the flight departed this evening.”
Recent flight diversions
Over the past couple of months, several aircraft diversions occurred for United Airlines. In December 2023, a United Airlines flight traveling between London and New York had to return to its point of origin shortly after takeoff due to an onboard failure.
Last month, on December 19, 2023, a United Airlines Boeing 777 experienced an incident where smoke emerged from a passenger’s mobile phone. This led to the aircraft declaring an emergency and nearly initiating an emergency landing, although it was ultimately deemed unnecessary.
What happens during an aircraft diversion?
Flight diversions can occur for various reasons, and while never ideal, they may not cause significant disruption if managed effectively. Typically, these diversions happen due to adverse weather conditions, technical problems with the aircraft, medical emergencies, unruly passengers, safety concerns, or other issues.
When a diversion is required, the pilot’s first task is to select the appropriate airport for the diversion. The choice of landing destination has a substantial impact on the management of the diversion. Airlines aim to plan diversions to airports where they have an established presence or, at the very least, access to essential services.
However, the aircraft will need to land as soon as possible for certain emergencies. In such cases, a plane can land at any suitable airport that can handle the size and weight of the aircraft. For a more in-depth look at procedures that happen during diversions, you can find Simple Flying’s guide below.