Passengers onboard a United Airlines flight bound for Sydney from Los Angeles will likely miss ringing in the New Year in Australia. The flight, which departed Thursday evening, was scheduled to arrive in Sydney on the morning of New Year’s Eve, but the crew onboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner reported a mechanical issue mid-flight, prompting a diversion to Pago Pago, American Samoa.Initial data indicated the plane was scheduled to depart 40 minutes after being diverted; however, according to several reports, the aircraft has remained on the ground since it landed, leaving passengers stranded. United has reportedly sent a replacement aircraft to complete the journey.

Details surrounding the incident

United Airlines 839 (UA839) departed Los Angeles International Airport Thursday, December 30th, at 23:01 PST. After flying for nearly 10-and-a-half hours, the flight made an emergency landing at Pago Pago International Airport due to a potential oil leak from one of the aircraft’s engines. The aircraft landed safely just after 6:00 Samoa Standard Time (SST) Friday, 4:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Saturday.

United United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on approach at Los Angeles International Airport.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

A spokesperson for the carrier said accommodations are being made for the grounded passengers.

“Today’s flight diverted to Pago Pago to address a mechanical issue, we’re making use of our facilities, including available hotel options, to accommodate our customers, and will fly in a new aircraft to the island, so they can finish their trip to Sydney soon.” - Spokesperson, United Airlines

Kayled Gonzalez resides in Australia and said her partner, a passenger on the flight, was sharing a room in Pago Pago with two other passengers. She also had difficulty communicating with United’s customer representatives and said her partner will now miss spending the holiday with loved ones.

“It was a very scary moment,” Gonzalez said to The Sydney Morning Herald. “He’s now missed his connecting flight to Gold Coast and will miss NYE with his family.”

Another Dreamliner coming to the rescue

N24979, another United Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, is scheduled to pick up the stranded passengers in Pago Pago, according to data from Flightradar24. The plane flew to Sydney from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston as UA101. Its next flight, UA842, scheduled to Los Angeles, has been canceled so that it can fly to American Samoa.

United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at the gate.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

According to Flight Aware, the jet departed Sydney at 17:00 AEDT, beginning its nearly 6-hour journey backward in time to Pago Pago. It is scheduled to land at 12:44 SST. It will then leave Pago Pago at 3:00 SST, returning to Sydney on January 1st at 7:15 AEDT, almost 24 hours after passengers were initially expected to arrive in Australia.

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An airport not usually served by United

Pago Pago International Airport, also known as Tafuna Airport, is a public airport located 7 miles southwest of Pago Pago. It is situated in the village and plains of Tafuna on the Island of Tutuila, one of the seven islands that make up the American Samoa territory. Tutuila is the largest and most populated island, with more than 40,000 people.

The airport is American Samoa’s primary commercial service airport, with international service to Western Samoa and Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines is the only major commercial airline to serve the airport, flying from Honolulu three times weekly.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald