A United Airlines flight was abruptly shortened on Wednesday, landing in Tampa, Florida, following pilot alerts regarding a potential door issue, as per an airport spokesperson.
The Airbus A319 took off again later after addressing the problem, according to the airline’s statement on Thursday. Last week, an Alaska Airlines Boeing Max 9 experienced a similar issue when a plug, serving as a door replacement, blew off shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
Why was the flight diverted?
Emergency dispatchers were initially informed at the Tampa airport that the diversion occurred due to a door indicator light turning on, and fire crews were dispatched to meet the plane.
The United spokesperson stated that the flight from Sarasota, Florida, to Chicago diverted to Tampa as a precaution to address a potential mechanical problem. The plane landed safely and resumed its journey after resolving the issue. With 123 passengers and five crew members, the flight was in the air for less than an hour, according to FlightAware tracking service data. WFLA-TV first reported the diversion.
Why has Boeing been in the news?
On January 5, during its journey from Portland, USA, Alaska Airlines’ Flight AS-1282, en route to California, experienced an “explosive decompression.” The incident occurred as a ‘plugged’ door of the Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft blew out while the flight was ascending through 16,000 feet in the pressurized cabin. The aircraft, carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, safely returned to Portland, and there were reports of minor injuries among some passengers.
(With AP inputs)