New Delhi: A United Airlines flight, underwent a rapid descent of 28,000 feet within a span of 10 minutes and altered its course to return to New Jersey.
On Wednesday, while en route from Newark to Rome, Flight 510 encountered a cabin pressure problem. A United Airlines representative informed the New York Post that the Boeing 777 aircraft carried 270 passengers and 14 crew members.
This incident occurred several months after another United Airlines flight experienced a sudden altitude drop shortly after departing from Maui.
According to data from FlightAware cited by the New York Post, the flight from Newark Liberty International Airport took off at 8:37 pm (local time) and safely landed back at the same airport at 12:27 am.
The airline released a statement in which it explained that the aircraft returned to Newark “to address a possible loss of cabin pressure”.
“The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure,” the airlines’ spokesperson further said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed the “pressurization problem,” which led to the pilot altering the plane’s course.
However, when the course adjustment occurred, the aircraft rapidly descended by approximately 28,000 feet within a mere 10-minute timeframe.
United Airlines ensured the passengers were transferred to another plane and successfully reached their intended destination.
In December of the previous year, Flight UA1722 operated by United Airlines departed from Kahului Airport in Maui, destined for San Francisco. However, the flight encountered issues at an altitude of only 2,200 feet.
