United flight diverted after toilet reportedly overflows into cabin
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A United Airlines flight that left Frankfurt, Germany, bound for San Francisco returned to the airport Friday after a toilet reportedly overflowed into the cabin.
The flight, UAL59, took off from Frankfurt Airport at 12:25 p.m. local time, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
The plane’s flight path showed it leaving Frankfurt and flying over the Netherlands before circling the North Sea and returning to the airport. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the flight, which was bound for San Francisco International Airport, was forced to turn back due to an overflowing toilet.
A United spokesperson cited by the Chronicle said the incident involved a “maintenance issue with one of the aircraft’s lavatories.” Passengers were accommodated in hotels in Frankfurt and put on different flights the next day, the Chronicle reported.
The airplane was a Boeing 777.
This is the latest in a series of mechanical and safety issues involving United Airlines. On Friday, another United flight that took off from SFO was diverted to Denver after a reported engine issue.
It’s also the latest issue with Boeing — one that could add to the apprehensive some travelers have expressed regarding flying aboard the company’s jetliners. Travelers have voiced their safety concerns in news interviews and on social media platforms like TikTok, with several users posting videos using the caption, “If it’s Boeing, I’m not going.”
Not everyone has agreed with the new tagline, with many calling it an “over reaction” and “fear mongering.” Others have also pointed out that air travel is still safer than driving.