Six injured in mid-air jolt that forced DC-bound United plane to make emergency landing in Nigeria
CNNJAN 25
United Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Mid-Air Jolt
Above: A United Airlines Boeing MAX 9 departs Los Angeles International Airport for Houston on Jan. 4, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Image copyright: Kevin Carter/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 flight from Lagos to Washington DC — with 245 passengers and 11 crew members aboard — landed in Lagos on Friday after experiencing an "unexpected aircraft movement" approximately 93 minutes into the flight.
The aircraft departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 11:59 pm on Thursday and made an emergency landing at 3:22 the following morning. Emergency response teams were already positioned for the aircraft's arrival.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft's speed dropped from over 500 knots to 40 knots while flying at 36K feet before the plane reversed course back to Lagos over Ivory Coast.
The Spin
Narrative A
The incident raises serious safety concerns and potential systemic issues about Boeing 787 aircraft, particularly following a similar event involving a Latam Airlines flight last year that prompted the FAA to order inspections of hundreds of Boeing 787s.
Narrative B
Despite the incident, all injured passengers received immediate medical attention, and the aircraft sustained no significant damage. The emergency landing highlights the effectiveness of safety protocols and swift response from both the flight crew and ground emergency teams.