United Airlines mid-air scare: Plane makes emergency landing after open door indicator blinks

A United Airlines flight, which had departed from Sarasota, Florida, was forced to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport after the open door indicator light started blinking on Wednesday (Jan 10). The mid-air incident happened just a week after Alaska Airlines' door plug blew out mid-air in a shocking incident, leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft.

United Flight 2434 was headed to Chicago when the light started blinking and forced pilots to alert dispatchers and the plane was rerouted to Tampa, as per a spokesperson for the airport.

The plane took off from Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport at 3:42 pm local time and was rerouted to Tampa International Airport where the plane made a safe landing at 4:35 pm, as per the flight tracking website Flight Aware.

Also read: United Airlines and Alaska Airlines find loose bolts in Boeing jets during inspections

The aircraft, which had 123 passengers and five crew members, was able to make an emergency landing “as a precaution this afternoon to address a possible mechanical issue,” said a spokesperson of United Airlines, while speaking to The New York Post.

The airline did not clarify immediately if the issue was related to an open door light. However, a Tampa International Airport spokesperson said that this same reason was cited at the time its dispatchers received a request for runway space to make an emergency landing.

United Airlines among airlines operating Boeing 737 Max 9

United Airlines is one of the two American airlines which have been operating Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners, one of which recently lost its door plug in the air. However, the plane which was diverted to Tampa on Wednesday (Jan 10) was an Airbus A319 and not a Boeing 737 Max 9.

Nearly 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes have been grounded by the FAA “until operators complete enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners.”

Watch: United Airlines finds loose bolts on multiple Boeing 737 Max 9 planes 

Loose hardware was discovered by both United and Alaska Airlines on a few of their planes, which were part of their fleet of Max 9s.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon had to make a dramatic emergency landing on Friday (Jan 5) after a door plug flew off while at 16,000 feet in the air.

Because of the rapid depressurisation, a shirt of a teenager was sucked while seat headrests as well as the belongings of other passengers, which included cell phones, landed in residents’ backyards.

(With inputs from agencies)