United Airlines Flight Has ‘Maintenance Issue’ en Route to San Francisco

A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco from Sydney, Australia, encountered a “maintenance issue” and had to turn back to the airport.

CBS News reported that on Monday, March 11, United Flight 830 departed from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport around noon local time. The flight was bound for the San Francisco International Airport.

Less than two hours into the 13-hour flight, the Boeing 777-300 aircraft “returned to Sydney due to a maintenance issue.” The airline’s statement did not specify the specific type of maintenance issue the plane experienced.

Subsequently, the plane landed safely, and all its passengers deplaned at the airport. There were 167 passengers and 16 crew members on the jet. 

Reportedly, the airline provided overnight accommodation to the affected passengers. They also rebooked them on a different flight to San Francisco.

#INCIDENT | United Airlines flight UAL830, a Boeing 777-300ER bound for San Francisco was forced to make a return to Sydney after experiencing mechanical issues shortly after departure today.

The flight was outbound over the Pacific on climb through FL300 when the decision was… pic.twitter.com/UBFkFYGhxg

— AviationSource (@AvSourceNews) March 11, 2024

The plane reached an altitude of 30,000 feet, according to Flight Radar 24, when it had to turn back, landing at 2:34 pm. Following, a Level 3 Emergency was declared with a major emergency response. There were reports of a hydraulics fault, according to The Guardian. The aircraft has since been taken out of service.

The latest United Airlines emergency landing marks the fifth in one week. On Friday, United Flight 821 from San Francisco to Mexico City landed at Los Angeles International Airport after the crew reported a hydraulics issue.

In related news, on March 11, the Federal Aviation Association released a report that the Biden-Harris Administration released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget request to Congress. It allows for $43 million to accelerate the hiring and training of air traffic controllers, helping the agency meet the goal of hiring 2,000 new controllers in 2025. 

This program provides a reliable and stable funding source to ensure the national airspace system remains the safest and most efficient globally. The budget includes a new Facility Replacement and Radar Modernization proposal to replace or modernize aging air traffic control facilities. The budget includes $1.8 billion for the Office of Aviation Safety to support production oversight and continued operational safety.