A United Airlines flight headed to Paris made an unexpected landing in Denver on Thursday night after the plane experienced engine issues.
United Flight 990, a Boeing 777-200, had nearly 300 passengers on board when it departed from San Francisco International Airport. Shortly after departure, the plane diverted to Denver where passengers deplaned safely. The flight to Paris was canceled, a United airlines spokesperson told Newsweek, and officials were reportedly assisting passengers with other flight options for Friday morning.
No one was injured, and it's unclear what caused the engine to malfunction. Emergency services were on standby when the plane landed but weren't needed.
The incident came after months of problems involving Boeing planes, as the company faces increased scrutiny over the events.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun plans to step down at the end of the year. Larry Kellner, chairman of the board for Boeing, also said he will not be seeking reelection and will be replaced by Steve Mollenkopf, the former CEO of Qualcomm and a Boeing board member since 2020, with the search ongoing for a replacement for Calhoun.
Airline passengers involved in the plane-related incidents have mostly emerged unscathed, but the issues have heightened doubt and unease around air travel.
The most notable incident featured a Boeing 737 Max 9 craft operated by Alaska Airlines which was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after departing Portland International Airport after a poorly installed door plug flew off in midair in January.
Images from inside the craft showing the sizable opening that had been left in the craft went viral online, causing widespread alarm, though no one on board had been injured.
Issues with other flights have ranged from cracked windows to faulty engines.
United Airlines has experienced an array of issues as well.
Earlier this month, a United Boeing 777-200 bound from San Francisco to Japan was forced to reroute to Los Angeles immediately after takeoff after one of its wheels fell off. No one was injured, but a car was heavily damaged by the wheel after it came off.
A United Boeing 777-300 bound from Sydney to San Francisco was forced to turn around and land where it started after a fuel leak was reported after takeoff only a week after the wheel incident. Two days after the fuel leak incident, a United Boeing 737-800 bound from San Francisco to Medford, Oregon, arrived at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport with an exterior panel missing, having seemingly fallen off during the flight.
At least 11 incidents have occurred on United Airlines planes that took off from or landed in U.S. airports in the past two Weeks, Newsweek reported.
United CEO Scott Kirby has said that the company was investigating each case and using the findings to learn the "right lessons" and "continue to run an operation that puts safety first."
Update 03/29/2024, 11:52 a.m. Eastern Time: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 03/29/2024, 12:17 p.m. Eastern Time: This article was updated with additional information.
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