Sonali TiwaryA United Airlines Boeing 767-300 operating flight UA-946 from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam diverted to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on October 12 after an engine problem over the Atlantic. The diversion interrupted a transatlantic journey and meant passengers had to wait in Canada while United arranged the next stage of their trip.
The Aviation Herald reported that the aircraft, registration N644UA, was at FL370 about 370 nautical miles east of St. John’s when the crew drifted down to FL260 because of a problem with a PW4060 engine. The crew then turned back toward St. John’s and declared an emergency.
Safe arrival after Atlantic diversion
The Boeing 767 landed safely on runway 28 about 90 minutes later. The Aviation Herald said it received information that the aircraft arrived with one engine shut down. United told the publication that the diversion was linked to an engine issue.
The report does not describe a specific cause for the engine problem. It identifies the aircraft as a 767-300 and the flight as UA-946, but it does not set out an investigation finding or a repair diagnosis. That leaves the immediate operational account, rather than a determination of cause, as the available record of the incident.
Passengers wait for onward flight
Passengers were taken to hotels in St. John’s, according to the Aviation Herald. Another aircraft was dispatched to take them onward to Amsterdam. For people on board, the diversion turned a scheduled flight between Washington and the Netherlands into an overnight interruption, with accommodation and a replacement service needed before the journey could continue.
St. John’s is a location on the North Atlantic route where an aircraft can divert when an operating issue requires a landing. In this case, the crew reduced altitude, changed course and landed there after declaring the emergency. The available account says the landing was safe and does not provide a separate passenger statement.
Readers following aviation disruptions can also see Riyadh airport attack deaths: at least 12 killed, 300+ injured and Birmingham Airport Plans £2bn Expansion to Handle 30 Million Passengers by 2041. In the UA-946 case, the reported facts remain limited to the in-flight engine issue, the diversion, the safe landing and the arrangements made for passengers.
The Aviation Herald’s incident report was last updated on October 12. United’s reported description of the event was that the aircraft diverted to St. John’s over an engine issue.
