A United Express Embraer ERJ-175 departing for Indianapolis, IN returned to Chicago after reporting smoke in the cockpit on 3 October 2024.

Flight UA3707, operated by a Republic Airways Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of United Airlines, had conducted a departure from runway 10L Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

United Express UA3707 Chicago-Indianapolis

During the initial climb after takeoff, flight crew reported the presence of smoke in the cockpit. As a result, the climb was terminated and a direct return to the origin airport was conducted.

The aircraft landed without further incident on runway 10L just under 15 minutes after its initial departure.

A subsequent FAA report confirmed that the flight had departed at around 0820pm local time, and reported possible smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff. The in-flight incident will now become the subject of an FAA investigation.

Flight Details

Flight data shows that flight UA3707 had made a departure from Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 0811 local time. The flight was still in the initial stages of climb when flight crew terminated the procedure at 5000 feet. A direct return to Chicago was then carried out.

The aircraft conducting the UA3707 service to Indianapolis International Airport on behalf of United Airlines was in Embraer ERJ-175, registered N742YX. This is a 7.5 year old regional aircraft belonging to the carrier United Express. It is presently operated by Republic Airways.

The aircraft has been operational service with the airline since its initial delivery in May 2017.

Republic Airways is a regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed, and sold by a partner mainline airline. The company is contracted by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.  

Here’s a brief overview of Republic Airways:

• Regional airline: It operates shorter flights to smaller cities, often connecting passengers to larger hubs.
• Contracted by major airlines: Republic Airways does not operate flights under its own name but rather provides services for American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express.

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