In a terrifying incident, a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Rome, Italy, plunged more than 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes and was forced to reverse its course and return to the Newark Liberty International Airport, reported the American media, on Friday (September 15).
The Italy-bound United Airlines Flight 510 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday at 8:37 pm (local time) but never made it to Rome after the Boeing 777 experienced an issue with its cabin pressurization, said a report by the New York Post.
The issue forced the plane to rapidly drop and the pilot to turn the aircraft carrying 270 passengers and 14 crew members around, a spokesperson told The Post. The flight landed back at the Newark airport at 12:27 am (local time) instead of its planned destination of Rome–Fiumicino International Airport, according to flight tracker FlightAware.The flight tracker data showed that before the plane reversed its course, it fell some 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes.
The United Airlines Flight 510 returned to Newark “to address a possible loss of cabin pressure,” said a spokesperson for the airline, in a statement. The incident was also confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration which attributed the reported plunge to a “pressurization issue.”
The United Airlines passengers eventually made it to Rome after being flown in another aircraft, said the airline spokesperson.
Not the first time
According to flight tracking data, a United Airlines 777 that left Kahului Airport in Hawaii in December last year plunged towards the ocean for 21 seconds shortly after take-off. The plane came within nearly 800 feet of sea level.