Saturday, March 30, 2024

22 Injured As United Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Hits Severe Turbulence
SIMPLY FLYING
PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

Several passengers were treated for their injuries at an airport in Upstate New York.

Photo: Ronen Fefer | Shutterstock


SUMMARY

United Airlines flight 85 made an emergency landing due to extreme turbulence on Friday.

The 787-10 Dreamliner diverted to New York Stewart International Airport after hitting high winds on approach.

The FAA is investigating the incident, with United facing scrutiny over a series of recent safety issues.


A Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner operated by United Airlines made an emergency landing at New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) on Friday after reportedly experiencing “extreme turbulence.” More than 20 passengers were injured as a result, with seven taken to the hospital upon arrival.

It is believed that the aircraft hit high winds while on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Following the encounter, the aircraft aborted its landing at the airport, climbed a few thousand feet, and diverted north to SWF.
Flight details

United confirmed the incident to Simple Flying on late Friday, stating,

“On Friday, United flight 85 landed at Stewart International Airport (SWF) after reported high winds at Newark. One passenger deplaned due to a medical incident, and a few other customers were seen by medical personnel for possible motion sickness. The flight refueled and continued to Newark tonight.”

The aircraft, registered as N14016, operated as UAL85 from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv, Israel, according to Flightradar24.com. The 787 departed from its gate at 11:30 but was not airborne until 13:05. It proceeded to an initial cruising altitude of 34,000 feet before jumping up to 36,000 feet. As it crossed over the North Atlantic Ocean, the plane subsequently climbed to 38,000 feet and continued west for the remainder of its cruise, which appeared to be uneventful.

Approaching EWR

Around 10 hours and 51 minutes into the flight, N14016 had begun its initial descent. Ten minutes after beginning its descent, the aircraft was around 20,000 feet. Flying over Albany, the Dreamliner turned south. Its rate of descent had slowed as it passed west of Poughkeepsie. At around 17:25 EDT, the 787 was flying around 4,200 feet and turned back north before turning east, traveling closer to EWR. Five minutes later, the plane turned slightly southeast to intercept the approach path.



Photo: Flightradar24.com

At 17:35, the aircraft had lined up for final approach on Runway 22L and was descending through 3,000 feet. It then continued for what appeared to be a normal approach. Flight data shows that the plane was only 350 feet in the air over the runway at approximately 17:37. It then climbed 3,200 feet and continued flying south of the airport before turning northwest. The Dreamliner eventually reached 4,200 feet before descending and landing at SWF. N14016 landed safely on Runway 27 at around 18:00, according to Flightradar24.com.


A slew of safety incidents


It is unclear when the aircraft encountered the severe turbulence, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would investigate the incident. The agency told Simple Flying that the crew reported a passenger emergency, which prompted the diversion. According to Blaise Gomez, a reporter at News 12 Westchester, 312 passengers were onboard. Fifteen were treated by paramedics at SWF, while seven were taken to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital.



After sitting on the ground for over two hours, UAL85 continued to EWR. The aircraft departed from SWF at 20:16 and landed at EWR at 20:34.

The incident was the second United aircraft to make an emergency landing in about 24 hours. On Thursday, UA990 was enroute from San Francisco to Paris when it diverted to Denver following engine issues. United has been under the spotlight for experiencing a slew of safety incidents in the past few weeks. Last week, the FAA said it would increase its oversight of United’s operations to ensure safety compliance.

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