A United Airlines flight from Sarasota, Florida made an emergency landing at the next closest airport after an open door indicator light illuminated Wednesday, less than a week after the shocking mid-flight Alaska Airlines door plug blow-out.
United Flight 2434 was heading to Chicago when the light came on, causing pilots to alert dispatchers and reroute the plane to Tampa, according to a spokesperson for the airport.
The plane departed Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport at 3:42 p.m. and was diverted to Tampa International Airport, where it landed safely at 4:35 p.m., according to flight tracking website Flight Aware.
The aircraft — carrying 123 passengers and five crew members — made the emergency landing “as a precaution this afternoon to address a possible mechanical issue,” a United spokesperson told The Post.
United Flight 2434 from Sarasota to Chicago made an emergency landing in Tampa Wednesday after a door indicator light came on. Christopher Sadowski
The airline did not immediately specify if the issue in question was related to an open door light, but a Tampa International Airport spokesperson said its dispatchers received a call referencing exactly that when runway space was requested for the emergency landing.
United Airlines is one of the two American companies that operates Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners — like the one that lost its door plug in the air on Friday.
But the plane diverted to Tampa Wednesday was an Airbus A319.
The plane was an Airbus A319, not a Boeing 737 Max 9 which have been grounded over loose part concerns. FlightAware
The FAA has grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes “until operators complete enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners.”
Both United and Alaska Airlines have discovered loose hardware on a few of their planes within their fleet of Max 9s.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon was forced to make a dramatic emergency landing last Friday after a door plug flew off and left a gaping hole in the side of the plane at 16,000 feet in the air.
United Airlines is one of the two American companies that operates Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners — like the one that lost its door plug in the air on Friday. Instagram/@strawberrvy via REUTE
The rapid depressurization sucked a teenager’s shirt right off his back as well as seat headrests and other passenger’s belongings including cell phones — some of which landed in residents’ backyards.
Miraculously, none of the 171 passengers and six crew members were seriously injured.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2024/01/10/news/united-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-tampa-after-open-door-light-illuminates/