In the last few minutes, a United Airlines flight bound for Barcelona is returning to Washington following a complete radio failure.
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N67058 is the Boeing 767-400 involved in this incident.
Updates: United Airlines Flight Washington-Barcelona Loses Radios…
This is a developing story. Updates below.
UPDATE #1 @ 0016 UK time – ACARS data courtesy of @thenewarea51 shows a complete radio failure, which has prompted the return to Washington and not continue on to Barcelona.
UPDATE #2 @ 0018 UK time – A look at the overall routing taken so far by United Airlines flight UA992.
UPDATE #3 @ 0020 UK time – N67058 is the Boeing 767-400 involved in this incident. As per Planespotters, the aircraft is 21.8 years old, having started out life under the Continental Airlines name in January 2002.
Of the 767-400 variant, the airline has 16 of them, of which 14 are in active service and two are parked, holding an average age of 22.2 years between all of them.
UPDATE #4 @ 0023 UK time – UA992 is tracking to the east of Fredericksburg, with the expectation of a return to Washington Dulles soon. Unclear whether there is a spare aircraft available to take the passengers onwards to Barcelona after this.
UPDATE #5 @ 0028 UK time – Understood the route deviations taking place are to dump fuel as it is too heavy to land at this stage. Unclear whether it will enter any holds or whether it will continue said deviation.
UPDATE #6 @ 0036 UK time – UA992 continues to deviate and is directly south of Washington Dulles at this current stage as the fuel burn continues.
UPDATE #7 @ 0042 UK time – UA992 looks to be beginning it’s holding whilst they dump fuel. Currently tracking to the west of Richmond.
UPDATE #8 @ 0049 UK time – United Airlines flight UA992 is enlarging it’s hold as the Barcelona-bound flight continues to burn fuel so then it can make a safe, on-weight landing back into Washington Dulles.
UPDATE #9 @ 0103 UK time – UA992 continues to hold to the west of Richmond. The aircraft has been in the air for around an hour and 15 minutes so far. Unclear how much more fuel they have left to jettison.
UPDATE #10 @ 0109 UK time – It looks like United Airlines flight UA992 has come out of its current hold. Unclear whether the aircraft is continuing to Washington at this stage.
UPDATE #11 @ 0111 UK time – UA992 is descending out of 9,600 feet, indicating that the aircraft is going to land into Dulles in the next few minutes.
UPDATE #12 @ 0119 UK time – United Airlines flight UA992, originally bound for Barcelona, is not far away from making it’s approach into Washington after departing from there over an hour ago.
UPDATE #13 @ 0131 UK time – TOUCHDOWN! UA992 has appeared to have touched down safely back into Dulles following a complete radio failure which resulted in a fuel dump and return.
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