Las Vegas-Bound United Airlines Boeing 757-200 returns to Newark due to mechanical issue

A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday morning after a mechanical issue was reported mid-flight, according to the New York Post.

United Flight 1544, which had taken off from Newark at 05:55, was en route to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas when it had to turn back just an hour into the flight. The flight, a Boeing 757-200 , carried 176 passengers and six crew members.

Mechanical problem reported

Port Authority officials said that the pilots decided to return to Newark after encountering an unspecified mechanical problem, the Daily Mail reported, though the exact nature of the issue was not immediately disclosed.

The flight landed safely at Newark at approximately 06:50, Flight Aware data showed, and all passengers deplaned without incident.

A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident and that the airline had arranged for another aircraft to continue the journey to Las Vegas. The spokesperson said in a statement to my:

"United flight 1544 to Las Vegas returned to Newark Liberty International Airport to address a possible mechanical issue. The flight landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. We have arranged for a different aircraft to take our customers to Las Vegas this morning. "

Possible engine issue investigated by FAA

A Reddit post on Tuesday morning suggested that the aircraft "had an oil pressure issue in the left engine and made a return to the airport."

My has reached out to United Airlines for confirmation and further details regarding the mechanical issue.

The FAA has launched an investigation into the United Airlines incident, which was attributed to a possible engine issue. In a statement, the agency said:

United Airlines Flight 1544 returned safely to Newark Liberty International Airport around 6:40 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Feb. 25, after the crew reported possible engine issues. The Boeing 757-200 was heading to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The FAA will investigate. Contact the airline for more information.

United has arranged another B757 aircraft with registration N13110 for replacement. The new flight to Las Vegas was scheduled to depart at 10:15 local time, more than four hours later than originally planned.

The aircraft involved in the emergency landing, registered as N48127, is a Boeing 757-200. The aircraft has been in service for over 27 years, according to planespotters.net.

Recent emergency landings raise concerns

In January, United Airlines made two emergency stops at Newark, according to New York's PIX11.

On January 18, a United Airlines B767-400 en route to Puerto Rico made an emergency landing at Newark after the pilot reported a possible mechanical issue, according to the FAA.

A week later, on January 25, another B767 operating Flight UA2143, also bound for Puerto Rico, had to turn around and return to Newark after the crew reported a fire alarm in the flight deck.

This incident comes after a United Airlines flight from Nigeria was forced to make an emergency landing due to a mid-air jolt that injured six people in late January.

Flight 613, bound for Washington, D.C., returned to Lagos on Friday after a technical issue and unexpected aircraft movement.

The Boeing 787-8, carrying 245 passengers and 11 crew members, experienced a sudden dip from cruising altitude 93 minutes into the flight, causing significant disruption onboard.

Passengers reported chaos, with food, trays, and personal items scattered throughout the cabin.

This emergency landing is the most recent in a concerning trend of recent accidents involving air travel in the United States.

A haze in the cabin of a Delta Air Lines aircraft on Monday morning, forcing the carrier to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Slides were deployed after the aircraft landed, according to the airline.

An aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines flipped upside down earlier this month as it touched down at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada. Injuries were reported, but all passengers onboard survived.