United Airlines emergency: A United Airlines Boeing 767 departing for Washington DC made an emergency return to Paris after experiencing a pressurisation problem on 1 April 2025.
United Airlines flight UA331, a Boeing 767-300ER, had conducted a departure from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG).
The flight was to be a scheduled service bound for Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
United Airlines UA331 Paris-Washington
Following its departure, the flight was still in French airspace when an emergency was declared. The flight had climbed to flight level FL200 before flight crew terminated the climb procedure.
An immediate descent was initiated and flight crew squawked emergency transponder code 7700 during the descent.
The aircraft descended to 10,000 feet and a direct return to Paris Charles de Gaulle was then carried out. According to the online source Flight Emergency, the flight experienced a loss of cabin pressure, prompting the declaration of an emergency.
The flight subsequently landed at the origin airport, approximately one hour after its initial departure.
Flight Details
Flight data shows that flight UA331 had made an on-time departure from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport at 1652 local time on 1 April.
The flight had then set course normally before the climb procedure was terminated at flight level FL200 (20,000 feet).
A descent was then made to the safety altitude of 10,000 feet before the flight returned. Flight crew squawked transponder code 7700 at 1519 UTC while passing through FL120.
The flight reverted to a normal transponder code after the aircraft was established at 10,000 feet.
The aircraft conducting the UA331 service to Washington Dulles International Airport was a Boeing 767-300ER, registered N659UA. This is a 32 year old airframe belonging to the carrier United Airlines. It has been operational service with the airline since its initial delivery from the factory in April 1993.
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