On December 27, a United Airlines Boeing 767 aircraft flying from London Heathrow to Newark Liberty International Airport had to turn back shortly after takeoff due to an apparent onboard failure. Flight UA 921, scheduled to depart at 18:00 and arrive at 21:35, experienced the issue as it reached an altitude of 20,000 feet somewhere between the UK and Ireland.
While United Airlines has not released an official statement regarding the incident, it is believed that an electronics failure onboard is the likely cause of the diversion. This information has been reported by AviationSource News, which will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
The specific aircraft involved is a 31-year-old Boeing 767-300ER with registration N653UA, featuring a Star Alliance livery. It was delivered to United Airlines in October 1992 and has accumulated over 120,000 flight hours across 18,587 flight cycles as of August 31, 2023.
United Airlines operates a fleet of 37 Boeing 767-300ERs, with an average age of almost 28 years, and 16 Boeing 767-400ERs, averaging just over 22 years. In addition to this, the airline has various other types of aircraft in its fleet, including Boeing 777 models such as the 777-200, 777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787 models like the 787-10, 787-8, and 787-9, as well as Airbus A319s, A320-200s, A321neos, and a significant number of Boeing 737s.
United Airlines is renowned for its extensive network, with nearly 1,000 return flights to London from different US cities in December alone. The airline also boasts a wide range of European destinations and has recently added six new routes to cities including Barcelona, Shannon, Rome, Berlin, Stockholm, and Malaga.
In conclusion, the incident involving the Boeing 767’s return to London Heathrow underscores the critical importance of ensuring the safety and reliability of aircraft through proper maintenance and oversight to safeguard the well-being of passengers and crew.
Sources:
– AviationSource News
– Flightradar24
– ch-aviation
– Cirium
