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Contact photographer Gerry Stegmeier
What: United Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from Los Angeles ,CA to Narita
Where: Los Angeles
When: Oct 5th, 2009
Why: About twenty minutes after takeoff, the plane experienced a hydraulics leak. The flight crew decided to return to LAX, where it landed safely at 2:21 p.m.
Maintenance crews are inspecting the plane.
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Contact Photographer Jason Bisson
What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Los Angeles Washington DC
Where: United Airlines B752
When: Sep 8th 2009
Who: 177 passengers
Why: Prior to landing at Dulles, the plane’s “fasten seat belt” sign flashed. The plane experienced turbulence; the turbulence was severe enough that galley carts fell over and spewed drinks on passengers, and a passenger was caught by turbulence coming from the bathroom, where she was flung about the plane, sustaining enough injury that on landing she was sent to the hospital for examination.
What: United Airlines Flight 745 en route from New York to Denver
Where: O’Hare
When: Jul 24, 2009
Why: The flight was diverted to Chicago when a stewardess discovered a suspicious powder on a napkin, which turned out to be powdered napkin. The flight resumed without any more issues.
Do they take the cost of this kind of thing out of the stewardess’s salary?
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Contact Photographer Flavio Guerra
What: United Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from London Heathrow to Chicago O’hare
Where: Keflavik, Iceland
When: 2:51 p.m. CDT Monday
Who: 200 passengers (178 passengers reported also )
Why: Just over three hours after takeoff, the flight landed at Keflavic, diverting because of smoke in the cockpit. There were no injuries; and passengers safely debarked onto the taxiway.
George’s Point of View
Online, the wife of a passenger aboard this flight said the following:
There was an electrical problem in the cockpit. You could smell it.The stewards took us through the emergency landing procedure. I was sitting in the exit row, so the steward went over it with me again. I knew it was serious when I saw the steward take out his passport and wallet from the overhead and put it on him. I got mine out and did the same. (So our bodies would be ID’d if we crashed.) We were flying at altitude and then we slowly descended to about 500 feet above the water. We didn’t hear anything from the pilot during this whole time. But you could see Iceland ahead. When we landed I gave a thumb’s up to a flight attendant. She smiled and said, everything’s fine, as if it we were never in danger. But then I saw her close her eyes and silently say a prayer. We exited the plane to ambulances and emergency equipment.
I called United customer service to ask about them getting me on another flight out of there. They said “we don’t fly to Iceland.”
I said, now you do!This is attributed to the husband of Julia McEvoy.
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Contact Photographer Zach Chelsky
What: UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 468 AIRBUS A320
Where: SEATTLE, WA
When: 06/22/2009
Who: (not released)
Why: UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 468 AIRBUS A320 AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE INFLIGHT, POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT ELEVATOR
George’s Point of View
Statistically, a large plane is hit by lightning an average of once every three years.
What: United Airbus 320
Where: Billings Logan International Airport
When: Saturday June 13
Who: 136 passengers
Why: The number two engine had problems, necessitating an emergency landing in Billings.
What: United Airlines flight from Pittsburgh to Denver
Where: emergency landing in Moline, Illinois
When: June 4 2009, 8:00 a.m
Who: 67 passengers 4 crew
Why: The pilot reported smoke in the cockpit and electrical problems, and requested an emergency landing. The landing proceeded safely and no fire was found.
What: United Flight 615 en route from Washington DC to Chicago O’Hare
Where: Pittsburgh
When: landed at 12:51 May 22, 2009
Who: 119 on board including Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers
Why: After a hydraulic system failure was announced, the crew announced there would be an emergency landing. There had been “loud bang” at take-off, then the noise and vibration increased.
The landing was safe; and United was providing another plane for passengers to complete the flight to Chicago.
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Contact photographer Art Brett
What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Baltimore MD to Chicago O’Hare,IL
Where: Runway 23 Right at Indianapolis International Airport
When: May 15, 7:15 am
Who: 140 people aboard.
Why: While en route to Chicago, the 757 cockpit filled with smoke and requested an emergency landing at Indianapolis.
As you can see in the silent digital recording above, the plane lands safely, although we do not see the passengers debarking.
Pictured: UA Boeing 767-322
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Contact photographer Daniel Nicholson
What: United Airlines Boeing 767 en route from London to Washington D.C.
Where: Bangor International Airport
When: Wednesday April 1
Who: 178 passengers
Why: When the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, the plane was granted permission to land at Bangor International, which it did, safely.
George’s Point of View
I worry about all emergency landings, I’ve experienced just one.
When I see a United doing an emergency landing for any reason, my skin creeps because I fly United all the time. No pun intended.
What: United Airlines flight en route to Chicago
Where: Sioux Falls
When: 9:00 Wednesday jan 14
Who: 35 passengers No injuries
Why: The plane experienced mechanical failure after takeoff ( Reportedly, a flap on the plane wouldn’t go back down after takeoff) and landed back at the Sioux Falls Airport
What: The United Express flight 7164, en route from O’Hare bound for South Bend
Where: O’Hare Airport
When: Monday night Dec 15
Who: 28 passengers and 4 crew members
Why: The plane was about to land in South Bend but instead, circled the airport and returned to Chicago because of a landing gear problem. When the plane hit the tarmac, the left wing shot sparks. The belly landing as the plane slid down the runway, half on its belly.
What: United Airlines flight 952 en route from Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. to Frankfurt in Germany
Where: emergency landing at Shannon Airport. Shannon Airport is reducing from 280 staff to being manned by skeleton staff of fewer than five Aer Lingus ground personnel; but emergency services were deployed.
When: Friday October 17 2008 landing safely at landed safely at 6.13am
Who: 190 passengers and crew
Why: A technical problem in the cockpit area resulted in smoke entering the flight deck. A replacement plane was provided for the passengers.
What: United Airlines Flight 167 en route to Los Angeles from Boston
Where: diverted to O’Hare International Airport
When: Wednesday 8:37 p.m
Who: 138 people were on board.
Why: When about a dozen passengers became sick during a flight, the flight was diverted to O’Hare and an EMS Plan 2 was called which sent at least 10 ambulances to the scene.
Some passengers became sick from the smell of vomit on the plane. Those who fell ill were reportedly part of the same tour group of about 40. One among them reported feeling sick prior to takeoff. Four were hospitalized at Lutheran General Hospital. Fourteen declined to be hospitalized when examined by paramedics though the entire tour group was examined by paramedics.
No food was served on the flight.
What: United Airlines Flight 895 Boeing 747 bound for Hong Kong
Where: emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport
When: Saturday 5:27 p.m
Who: 323 passengers and 18 crew members
Why: One hour into the flight to Hong Kong, the pilot experienced unspecified problems with a temperature probe, and rerouted it back to O’Hare.