An United Airlines Boeing 737-900 that was headed to Brazil caught fire Tuesday evening and had to turn around before reaching its destination. The plane, which took off from Washington Dulles International Airport, landed safely at the airport about an hour later after a fire was reported in the crew compartment.
The passenger on board described the incident in which a flash of light was followed by sparks and smoke. The airline said the plane was carrying 180 passengers and six crew members, and that they were all evacuated without injuries.
A United Airlines flight headed to Brazil caught fire Tuesday evening, the airline said.
United Airlines flight 958 was en route from Houston to Sao Paulo, Brazil, when it was forced to turn around about an hour after takeoff due to a mechanical issue that caused sparks and smoke in the cabin.
A passenger on board described the incident in which a flash of light was followed by sparks and smoke.
A passenger on board described the incident in which a flash of light was followed by sparks and smoke. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 with 180 passengers and six crew members on board.
The airline said the plane was carrying 180 passengers and six crew members, and that they were all evacuated without injuries.
The airline said the plane was carrying 180 passengers and six crew members, and that they were all evacuated without injuries.
The incident is the latest in a string of problems for the U.S.-based carrier, which has been criticized for overbooking flights and its treatment of customers. United was sued earlier this year by two teenage girls who said they were sexually molested by male employees while traveling on United Airlines flights between California and Hawaii. The company also received heavy criticism after a passenger was dragged off an overbooked flight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April 2017, leaving him with a concussion, two broken teeth and other injuries.
Takeaway:
United Airlines flight 1303 bound for Sao Paulo, Brazil, was forced to make an emergency landing after sparks were seen coming from the plane’s engine. The Boeing 767-300 had 180 passengers and six crew members on board at the time of its evacuation.
According to CBS News, the aircraft landed safely in Chicago where it was met by fire crews who extinguished the flames. All passengers were evacuated without injury.
Conclusion
The incident comes at a time when airlines are trying to improve their safety standards after a number of high profile crashes in recent years. They have also been criticised for poor customer service, including overbooking seats and delaying flights.
