An 
American Airlines flight bound for Australia was forced to turn back last night after a warning light came on. The flight from Los Angeles was over an hour into its journey to Sydney when the incident occurred, but no injuries were reported. The plane was evaluated by mechanics in California and had been cleared to depart later today.
What happened to American Airlines Flight 73?
The Boeing 777-300 scheduled to depart for Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) around 22:30 on Wednesday. The flight (flying under the number AA 73) was expected to take over fourteen hours and departed just after 23:00. According to aircraft tracking data from Flightradar, the plane ascended to a cruising altitude of 28,000 feet and set out over the Pacific Ocean.
At the stroke of midnight, radar information shows the plane beginning a descent and turning back towards California. The aircraft descended to around 8,000 feet, where it remained for the rest of its flight back to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
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The plane continued back toward land and completed what appeared to be a single holding loop before landing. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport around 01:50 on Thursday after the crew reported a possible pressurization issue.
Photo: Flightradar24
A spokesperson for the airport also confirmed American Airlines Flight 73 landed safely at LAX but referred additional questions to the airline.
Why did it turn back?
When reached for this story by Simple Flying, an American Airlines official confirmed that although initial reports indicated there may have been a loss of pressure, the cabin pressure remained constant throughout the flight. The diversion was the result of a false alarm relating to the cargo door:
“A false indicator light came on regarding an issue with a cargo door. It was a false alarm.
“Our maintenance team inspected the aircraft and cleared it to depart for SYD this afternoon.”
Photo: Alejandro Gonzalez M | Shutterstock
According to data from ch-aviation, the aircraft (registered N725AN) was ordered by American Airlines in 2011 and delivered in July 2013. The aircraft has remained on the ground since its landing but is scheduled to fly again soon. As it has now been cleared for flight, the same aircraft will carry the delayed passengers to Sydney within the hour.
Data from the official American Airlines flight status tracker currently indicates the new departure time as 13:00 local time. The plane will then arrive in Sydney around 22:00 local time on Friday, after a total delay of just under 14 hours.
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A second flight will also depart the City of Angels for Sydney tonight. Thursday’s flight 73 leaves at 22:35 and is scheduled to arrive in Sydney at 08:05 on Saturday morning.
