Coach cabin of a United Airlines Boeing 757
A United Airlines transcon flight bound for Boston was forced to make an emergency landing in Denver, after a rear section of the aircraft’s wing was observed to be damaged, the airline said.
United Flight 354, operating on a Boeing 757-200 aircraft, left the gate at San Francisco International Airport on Monday at 1:47 p.m. local time and was wheels up at 2:15 p.m. The aircraft carrying 165 passengers plus crew landed at Denver International Airport at 5:17 p.m. local time and was at the gate at 5:28 p.m.
A passenger, Kevin Clarke, said on social media that the wing “came apart” when the flight took off and he alerted the crew to the damage. His wife, Kimberly Clarke, also posted about the incident, albeit from the ground, saying that “[T]he wing was coming apart in the air,” adding that “everyone is safe.”
The Chicago-based carrier said in a statement to Frequent Business Traveler and The Travelist that the flight “diverted to Denver yesterday afternoon to address an issue with the slat on the wing of the aircraft.” It said it was unable to provide details about the cause of the damage pending an investigation.
The Boeing 757 originally went into service in 1994 with Continental Airlines, which merged with United in 2010, according to online records.
The airline used a different 757-200 to continue the journey to Boston. It left the gate at 8:05 p.m. MST and landed at Boston Logan International Airport at 1:56 a.m. local time in the wee hours of the following morning, arriving at the gate a mere five minutes later, roughly four hours later than had been originally scheduled.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
All Rights Reserved Travel