Summary
- United Airlines made an emergency landing in Atlanta due to an engine shutdown.
- The plane descended rapidly and flew an unusual pattern before safely landing.
- The cause of the engine failure is under investigation by the FAA.
A Boeing 737-800 operated by United Airlines made an emergency landing in Atlanta after one of its engines shut down inflight on Wednesday. The aircraft arrived safely, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would investigate the matter.
The flight was enroute to Houston. United quickly made arrangements to deploy a replacement aircraft to continue the flight, but it did cause a minimal impact to its operation.
Details of the incident
The plane, registered as N76528, was operating as UA575 from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) with 138 passengers onboard. According to FlightAware, the aircraft pushed back from gate A25 at 06:53, seven minutes early from its scheduled departure at 07:00. It taxied for 16 minutes to Runway 36C and was airborne by 07:09. The aircraft quickly gained altitude and speed, making it to its cruising altitude of 30,000 feet just 15 minutes after takeoff.
At 450 miles per hour, N76528 was headed southwest, crossing over the South Carolina and Georgia border. Flight data shows that only nine minutes after reaching its cruising altitude, the aircraft started to descend about 3,000 feet in about two minutes. According to The Aviation Herald, the plane was about 50 nautical miles (57 miles) east of Atlanta. Passing through 27,000 feet, its speed decreased significantly, dipping to around 278 miles per hour at 22,000 feet.
Rerouting to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the aircraft was around 18,000 feet, prompting the crews to fly an unusual pattern to descend further. The plane turned south, north, then back down south. Amid all the turns, the aircraft’s speed increased, briefly reaching 465 miles per hour. While situated at 7,000 feet, N76528 then turned east, away from ATL, then south again as it resumed its descent. It finally turned back west, lining up with Runway 27R for its final approach. The aircraft landed safely at 08:01 and taxied to the terminal on its own power, arriving at gate T17 minutes later.
Loss of the left engine
According to The Aviation Herald, the crew reported the loss of the plane’s left CFM56 engine. It only took them 30 minutes to arrive at ATL after beginning their descent. In a statement to Simple Flying on Wednesday, United confirmed the incident, citing a “mechanical issue.”
“United Flight 575 from Charlotte, N.C. to Houston diverted to Atlanta due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely, and passengers deplaned normally. We arranged for a different aircraft to take customers to their destination, which has since arrived in Houston.”
Once the aircraft landed, the crew reportedly requested emergency services to inspect the left engine. The FAA also confirmed the incident but said it would launch an investigation to determine the cause of the engine failure.
“United Airlines Flight 575 landed safely at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Jan. 31 after the crew reported a possible engine issue. The Boeing 737 took off from Charlotte, North Carolina, and was headed to Houston, Texas. The FAA will investigate.”
It is believed that the cause of the engine shutdown was due to “loss of engine oil,” according to The Aviation Herald, but Simple Flying has not independently verified the information.
Getting a replacement aircraft
United deployed another aircraft to continue UA575, but it was a 737-900ER, registered as N75436. The plane had arrived at ATL after N76528, at 09:46 as UA1428 from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). It was scheduled to return to EWR as UA325, but United canceled the flight to allow the aircraft to continue UA575 to IAH.
The aircraft departed at 10:49 and arrived at IAH at 11:59 local time, which was three hours and 39 minutes after the flight’s scheduled arrival time. The move was a minor disruption to United’s operation but allowed the affected passengers to ultimately reach Houston. It is unclear how United accommodated those on UA325, but they were likely rebooked on other flights to EWR free of charge.