HALIFAX, NS — A United Airlines transatlantic flight bound for London was forced to make an emergency landing in Canada Saturday night, reigniting scrutiny over the carrier’s aging fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft.
United Flight UA920, which departed Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at 8:14 PM CDT on Saturday, May 16, was roughly two hours into its scheduled eight-hour journey to London Heathrow (LHR) when trouble arose.
While cruising at 35,000 feet over eastern Canada, the flight crew issued a squawk code 7700, declaring an official mid-air emergency. Air traffic control quickly vectored the aircraft toward Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ).
The plane, a 33-year-old Boeing 767-300ER registered as N652UA, touched down safely on Halifax’s Runway 23 at approximately 11:59 PM local time, just under two hours and 45 minutes after taking off from Chicago. No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.
United Airlines confirmed the diversion was due to an unspecified “technical issue” requiring an immediate maintenance inspection. Passengers were deplaned in Halifax and faced a night of unexpected delays.
According to our information, it was an engine issue. A replacement schedule has been set to get the travelers to their destination Sunday, May 17, 10:20 AM ADT.
This latest diversion has thrown a spotlight back on United Airlines’ reliance on its aging Boeing 767 fleet. Aviation monitoring site Airlive.net has noted a recurring pattern of technical incidents involving these specific airframes in recent months.
United Airlines has not yet specified the exact nature of the mechanical failure, stating only that safety remains their top priority as technicians evaluate the aircraft.
