A United Airlines flight travelling from Rome to Newark had to divert to Ireland after the crew noticed problems with one of the plane’s engines mid-flight.
United Airlines flight 509 took off from Rome Fiumicino “Leonardo da Vinci” Airport at 1:36pm local time on Saturday, July 11, as per FlightAware.
The plane, a 24-year-old Boeing 767-400, was supposed to land at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey nearly 10 hours later.
Pilots reported engine vibrations and strange smell
About three hours after takeoff, the aircraft changed course over the Atlantic Ocean and headed to Shannon Airport in Ireland, according to flight records.
As per Aviation Herald, that the pilots noticed vibrations in the aircraft’s right engine. They also reported an unusual smell inside the cabin.
According to The Clare Herald, the aircraft was about 400 kilometres south of Ireland and around 550 kilometres from Shannon when the crew contacted air traffic control and requested permission to divert. The pilot said the right engine was vibrating but was still running at idle. The crew also informed controllers about the smell inside the cabin.
The crew then requested permission to land at Shannon Airport and asked for the airport’s fire and rescue teams to be ready when the aircraft arrived, per Clare Herald reported.
Flight lands safely as emergency teams inspect the aircraft
The flight landed safely at Shannon at 3:57pm and was followed along the runway by fire and rescue vehicles, according to reports. The aircraft managed to leave the runway on its own power and stopped briefly on a taxiway so fire crews could visually check the engine.
Since the crew had informed the airport that the aircraft would be making an overweight landing, fire crews checked the plane’s undercarriage to make sure it had not overheated. The jet was then taxied to the terminal building with fire service vehicles alongside it.
A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that the aircraft landed safely in Shannon “to address an issue with one engine.” They also confirmed that all 227 people on board disembarked without any injuries.
The airline said passengers were given hotel accommodations, compensation and were rebooked onto the next available flights.
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Separately, the airline’s website stated the aircraft diverted for “aircraft maintenance inspection.” It is not yet clear if the plane will continue its journey or if the flight will be cancelled. According to FlightRadar24, the aircraft has remained in Shannon since Saturday.
This isn’t the first time a transatlantic flight has been forced to divert to Shannon over engine trouble. In May, a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Jamaica also diverted to Shannon after the crew declared an emergency and said they were operating on one engine.