United Airlines Boeing Plane Turns Around Mid-flight Due To Fuel Leak

(RTTNews) - United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s (UAL) Boeing 777-300 aircraft had to return to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport after a fuel leak was detected just after take-off. The incident marks the fifth reported issue for the airline in just over a week.

The incident occurred during United Airlines Flight 830, which was carrying 167 passengers and 16 crew members on board and was originally bound for San Francisco. Fortunately, no one was injured, and all 183 people on board safely deplaned. The aircraft was met by fire crews upon landing, as captured in a video showing fluid leaking from the wheel area during take-off. Following the incident, passengers were accommodated overnight and rebooked for a flight to San Francisco the following day.

However, just hours before this incident, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Sydney to Auckland experienced a technical event, causing injuries to 50 passengers, including one individual hitting the cabin ceiling. Both incidents are under investigation, and Boeing is facing heightened scrutiny from various government investigations.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has emphasized the need for Boeing to undergo significant changes in its safety and manufacturing standards. The Federal Aviation Administration, which falls under Buttigieg's jurisdiction, is also conducting a separate investigation into Boeing. Buttigieg has stressed the importance of Boeing's full cooperation with investigative bodies such as the Department of Justice and the National Transportation Safety Board.

A recent report by The New York Times revealed that Boeing did not pass 33 out of 89 FAA inspections conducted after an incident involving an Alaska Airlines aircraft. The comprehensive six-week audit identified numerous deficiencies across various components of the 737 Max model, as disclosed in a presentation on the audit findings.

The report mentioned that seven out of 13 audits that targeted Spirit AeroSystems, the manufacturer of the aircraft body, did not meet the requirements. An instance highlighted was the application of liquid Dawn dish soap for lubricating a door seal in a "fit-up" procedure.