Frenzying, frightening Friday on United Boeing 787-800
The possibility of a surreal air snafu was not in their cogitation. Nigerians and other passengers heading out of the country to Washington Dulles in DC from Murtala Mohammed Airport on United Airline 613 on Thursday, January 23 did not expect the scary experience.
Flights on the Lagos-Washington route are mostly wry-free, especially when flying on the 12-year-old widebody Boeing 787-800 dedicated to hauling passengers from the US Capital into and out of Lagos. But 90 minutes into the United Flight 613 en route at FL360 (36,000 feet) over Ivory Coast about 170 nautical miles northwest of Abidjan, the aircraft deviated from its assigned flight level three times, dropping furiously downward in altitude of undetermined feet while meal service was in progress.
It was a pounding pandemonium as humans became flying objects from their seats, hitting heads against the aircraft ceiling with one passenger becoming unconscious for some time. Screams and frantic prayers to diverse gods rented the cabin as the rattling flying bird with wings of steel struggled momentarily to regain its balance before hitting the Atlantic Ocean airspace. There was no reported hollow of ‘Mayday’ from the cockpit.
The three pilots cuddled up in their assigned engineering space must have been in charge of the situation as the captain swiftly and quietly swung the aircraft around returning to the origin airport Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It was a frenzying and frightening Friday for the 243 passengers, three pilots, and eight hosts and hostesses!
During the bated-breath moment, and on the 90-minute return to Lagos, I am trying to imagine the emotional turmoil and racing heartbeats that must have torn apart the physiologies of passengers onboard. Whether they would make it back home, see their loved ones again, or live life one more time was up in the air. Weird thoughts must have been ringing in their aching heads. Have you ever run into aircraft jiggling and squiggling in the air in one of your air travels? I have a few times. The experience is unpleasantly unforgettable. Those few seconds or minutes when the twisting and twitching happens in the cloudy cumulus are noisomely heart-wrenching. The United aircraft eventually safely landed in Lagos. The airline later announced that there was a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft movement.
This is one ‘technical issue’ too frequent. I have been an elite traveller on United for decades. It is my airline of choice in the US and around the world. On December 29, I flew on this same aircraft back and forth without a shred of concern. But on January 24, and for the 243 passengers aboard the flying bird with wings of steel, it was a different story.
It is why I express on behalf of Nigerian frequent or infrequent fliers on the United Airlines Boeing 787-800 aircraft dedicated to the Lagos and Washington DC route that we need some answers from Nigeria’s aviation authorities and, of course, the United Airlines apparatchiks. What was the technical issue that caused the flight to return to Lagos? Was this an isolated concern, especially with this Boeing 787-800?
Aviation reports said that the same aircraft operating as UA613 on the same route on January 21 had to divert to Accra, Ghana for a ‘technical issue’. That diversion happened over Senegal, just before the aircraft was about to enter Atlantic Ocean airspace. There was no hullaballoo made about this incident because Nigerians do not want to complain about things like this as long as they make it to their destinations safely.
In a related incident, a friend of mine in Miami also recounted her experience aboard the same aircraft during her trip from Lagos to Washington Dulles on December 26. She said that the same thing that happened on January 24 was their experience. As she recalled, chills ran up and down my frail spine. According to her, the plane dropped suddenly over the Atlantic Ocean and screams and yells filled the cabin and objects scattered around in the aircraft. The pilot regained the balance of the aircraft, and they later landed safely in Washington Dulles.
The question now is: why is this aircraft dropping mid-air and then ‘catching her breath’ after a few minutes? This ‘asthmatic’ experience with just one aircraft is too dangerous. If this is not addressed now, one day the aircraft may go into a ‘coma’ mid-air. May that never be the story.
Is this incident ITCZ-related? The Intertropical Convergence Zone is a low-pressure band of clouds and thunderstorms that circles the Earth near the equator. It is created by the convergence of trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The ITCZ is not a fixed location, but rather a dynamic region that shifts throughout the year due to changes in the Earth’s orbit and axial tilt. But The ITCZ is way to the south at this time of the year, with little or no convective activity over the area. What about Jetstream, a narrow band of strong winds that move from west to east in the upper atmosphere? It is responsible for weather changes and can affect air travel. Aviation experts believe that is possible for isolated storms at this time of year, but you would have to deliberately fly into it.
But United Airlines ruled out turbulent weather as a cause of the incident. Reading between the lines, however, the loss of altitude must have been caused by a technical malfunction. United Airlines, which is the world’s largest by fleet size of 1000 aircraft and passenger destinations served, has had its bouts with technical troubles on its fleet.
On December 28, 2024, United Airlines Flight 2225 from Chicago to Phoenix diverted to Albuquerque International Sunport after the crew reported smoke on the flight deck. The Federal Aviation Administration, a US aviation-regulating agency, is still investigating. On February 6, 2024, United Airlines Flight 1539 from Nassau, Bahamas to Newark Liberty International Airport experienced stuck rudder pedals during landing. The plane taxied to the gate without incident. On May 27, 2024, United Airlines Flight UA2091 from Chicago to Seattle encountered an engine malfunction during takeoff preparations at O’Hare Airport. The plane was towed back to the gate and passengers disembarked safely. On September 19, 2024, United Airlines Flight 2428 from Newark to San Francisco International Airport experienced a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a collision. Two passengers were injured, and the FAA is also investigating.
Most technical problems on airplanes are discovered and addressed before flights, thanks to rigorous maintenance procedures and regulations. There are pre-flight checks which include daily inspections of their aircraft, and checks on critical systems. Pilots verify the aircraft’s airworthiness, check fuel levels, and test critical systems. Modern aircraft are equipped with advanced diagnostic systems that continuously monitor the aircraft’s systems and components when major issues are discovered. Almost 99.9 per cent of commercial flights on US major airlines are completed every year. While technical problems can be detected and addressed before flights, human factors, such as pilot error or maintenance mistakes, can still contribute to technical issues during flight. Was that the problem with United Air 613 flight from Lagos to Dulles on January 24 where 38 people were injured, including six who were hospitalised? The nature of the emergency is still unclear.
The US National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday it was investigating the United Airlines flight 613 on Friday from Lagos. NTSB will issue a preliminary report within 30 days. About this United Airlines Boeing 787-800; must Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, (SAN) be concerned? I hope he is. And Nigerians are as well.
