United Airlines Boeing 787 diverts to remote Pago Pago

One Mile At a Time ^ | 12.31.2022 | Ben Schlappig

[libh8er]

This incident took place on United Airlines flight UA839, which operates the 7,488-mile journey from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD). Specifically, this involves the flight that was scheduled to take off at 10:55PM on Thursday, December 29, 2022, and land in Sydney at 9:15AM on Saturday, December 31, 2022. Presumably most of the 230 passengers onboard were excited to celebrate the new year in Sydney.

The flight was operated by a seven-year-old Boeing 787-9 with the registration code N38955. For roughly the first seven hours, the flight operated as planned, flying southwest over the Pacific Ocean, including flying to the south of Hawaii.

However, at that point there were reportedly some engine issues, and the plane’s right engine had to be shut down. That’s never a fun situation when you’re flying in a remote area, with limited diversion points. At this point the flight was just north of Kiribati, and the plane started flying to the south.

The United 787 descended from its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet down to 20,000 feet, where it proceeded to cruise for nearly three hours.

After roughly 10 hours in the air, the plane ended up diverting to Pago Pago, American Samoa (PPG), where it landed at 6:22AM local time on December 30, 2022 (Pago Pago is on the opposite side of the International Date Line of Sydney).

Keep in mind that since American Samoa is a US territory, travelers can enter with a US passport. I wonder if that factored into the decision to divert there compared to another airport in the region.

United Airlines dispatches rescue Boeing 787 United Airlines generally does a great job with minimizing disruptions from diversions, and this was no exception. Obviously finding a spare Boeing 787 and sending it to Pago Pago is no small task, especially when you consider that you also need to find a crew that’s “legal” to work the trip, while minimizing disruptions to other passengers.

Following this incident, United dispatched a Boeing 787-9 from Sydney to Pago Pago. United sent a roughly two-year-old plane with the registration code N24979. It would appear that United canceled its Sydney to Houston flight to make this happen — I imagine it wasn’t too full, departing Australia just before the new year.

The plane departed Sydney for the 2,736-mile journey at 5:22PM on December 31, 2022, and landed in Pago Pago at 12:44AM on December 31, 2022.

The plane is now scheduled to operate as UA3032 from Pago Pago to Sydney, departing at 3AM on December 31, 2022, and arriving in Sydney at 7:01AM on January 1, 2023. That’s quite some time travel! 😉

[fremont_steve]

A better question ..why is it pro ounces Pango Pango? I have been there and never got that fundamental question answered

[Round Earther]

“Twin engine plane. One engine fails - in the middle of the Pacific - in the middle of the night.”

The 787 is ETOPS rated:

ETOPS

Engines Turn or Passengers Swim

[OldMissileer]

I believe you are mistaken. The DC-3 is a “tail dragger,” and cannot taxi on one engine, much less take off!

I assure you the DC-3 can taxi with one engine. I flew them back in the early 1980's. Taking off is another thing.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Why does the FBI have an office in Pago Pago?

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In case the mom's ask tough questions at school board meetings?

[Jim Noble]

I did JFK-Johannesberg (18.5 hours) in 2000.

Certainly makes that West Coast hop seem easy.

They just started JFK-New Zealand, and JFK-Sydney is in the works.

[Organic Panic]

That plane can fly just fine with a single engine. These new engines have so many safety features all monitored by the engine manufacturer in live time. If there is so much as a tiny flea fart out of place it is instantly sent to the manufacturer (Rolls or GE) and they will recommend shutting down an engine mid flight and landing for inspection. The engine I am most familiar with is Williams FJ which, most of the time, any error was an error with the sensors and not the engine.

[Starship1]

ETOPS: Engines Turn Off, Passengers Scream

[Celtic Conservative]

Yep, that's a very long ETOPS flight. ETOPS stands for "Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standard", the regulation that governs trans-oceanic flight. It is also referred to by pilots as "Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim".

🤣🤣🤣

CC

[Celtic Conservative]

The F-4 is proof that if you give it enough thrust, you can make a brick fly.

CC

[mad_as_he$$]

Even when it is coal powered! ;-)

[DAC21]

That is the flight my Sister did nearly every week (LAX / Sydney) for two years before she retired from Delta in 2020. They flew Triple 7’s

[Thermalseeker]

One engine fails - in the middle of the Pacific - in the middle of the night.

But, but, but the manual sez that almost never happens.....

[nesnah]

One engine fails - in the middle of the Pacific - in the middle of the night.

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And, the blond in seat 10A laments - “If the other engine goes out we’ll be up here all night”.

[xp38]

You were lucky it didn’t tip over while you were there.

[TChad]

Aha, "aviation gas" is not the same as "jet fuel," and the two are incompatible. I learned something.

I'm sorry to read about your friend. One of my closest friends somehow managed to fly his private plane into power lines, killing him and his passenger. He was a mechanical engineer, smart and meticulous.

[GreenHornet]

However, at that point there were reportedly some engine issues, and the plane’s right engine had to be shut down.

Over Macho Grande?

[Sarcazmo]

Thanks!

[Taxman]

I’d love to hear your story about how to taxi a DC-3 on one engine!

Have you actually done it?

And, for how far?

[OldMissileer]

Down taxiways using the brakes, and yes, I have done it.

[Taxman]

Tricky?

Short taxi?

Did the brakes hold up?

My twin engine tail dragger experience was in a surplus C-45. Procedure was to call for a tow if one engine was inop.