A brand-new United Airlines Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing at Changi Airport shortly after beginning its long-haul journey to San Francisco.
SINGAPORE – Flight UA2 to San Francisco departed Singapore at 9:33 AM SGT and was initially climbing toward an altitude of 31,000 feet. However, the flight was cut short when the crew declared an emergency roughly 30 minutes into the trip.
Timeline of the Emergency
The Boeing 787-9, registered as N61101, was heading east over the South China Sea when the cockpit crew transmitted a Squawk 7700 code, indicating a general emergency.
To ensure a safe landing weight, the pilots performed the following maneuvers:
- The U-Turn: The aircraft abandoned its path and turned back toward Singapore.
- Fuel Dumping: While being vectored by Air Traffic Control, the Dreamliner descended to 6,100 feet.
- Weight Reduction: The crew spent approximately 10 minutes circling over the water to dump fuel, a standard procedure for long-haul aircraft that are too heavy to land safely immediately after takeoff.
The plane touched down safely on Runway 02C at approximately 11:03 AM SGT, roughly one hour and 30 minutes after its initial departure.
Cause of the Return
While United Airlines officially cited a “maintenance issue” for the diversion, reports from inside the cabin suggest a more urgent situation.
“There was a strong, acrid odor throughout the cabin,” said a source on board the flight. “It smelled distinctly electrical in nature.”
Aircraft Status
United Airlines confirmed the flight to San Francisco has been canceled as the plane is “out of service to address a maintenance issue”. The aircraft was delivered to the airline only months ago.
