The Boeing 737-800 entered a holding pattern after departing from Fukuoka Airport (FUK) and safely returned to the airport 40 minutes after departure.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Summary
- A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 was forced to rerturn to its origin airport in Japan.
- While the incident temporarily closed down the airport’s runway, nobody was injured during the event.
- The aircraft was operating flight UA166 between Fukuoka Airport (FUK) and Guam Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM).
A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 was forced to turn back to its origin airport in Japan, with the aircraft entering a holding pattern shortly after its departure from Fukuoka Airport (FUK), Japan. The aircraft landed safely at FUK and returned to the gate area.
Flaps issue
According to a report by The Mainichi, a local Japanese outlet, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省, MLIT) and the local police have confirmed that nobody was injured during the incident on May 10.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
The outlet reported that there was an issue with the aircraft’s flaps, with the airport temporarily closing its runway. The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (日本放送協会, NHK), the Japanese public broadcaster, has also confirmed that the MLIT’s FUK office confirmed the incident, adding that the United Airlines Boeing 737-800 made an emergency landing at FUK.
However, Flightradar24 data showed that the United Airlines narrowbody, which was operating flight UA166, never squawked 7700, the general code for an onboard emergency. Simple Flying has approached United Airlines for a comment.
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Flying to Guam
The Boeing 737-800 was operating flight UA166 from FUK to Guam Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM). After departing at 11:07 local time (UTC +9), the aircraft began climbing up to an altitude of 9,800 feet (2,987 meters). However, it leveled off at that flight level and entered into a holding pattern to the west of the airport.
