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FAA Probes Two United Safety Incidents at SFO on Consecutive Days

Federal investigators are reviewing two safety events at SFO that have renewed scrutiny of ground operations.

United Airlines jets at San Francisco International Airport.
A United Airlines Boeing 787 taxis as a United Airlines Boeing 767 lands at San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, February 7, 2015. REUTERS/Louis Nastro/File Photo
United Airlines planes pass each other at SFO in San Francisco. Two United Airlines flights faced unrelated problems at San Francisco International Airport within 24 hours, one after a ground collision and another forced to return mid-flight over a cabin odor.
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Overview

  • On Sept. 1, United flight 1871 struck the tail of United flight 796 during pushback in a ramp area where controllers do not communicate with flights, the FAA said.
  • United reported no injuries in the collision and said passengers from both aircraft deplaned normally and were re-accommodated on different planes.
  • Local reports indicated at least one aircraft sustained physical damage, though officials have not detailed the extent or cause.
  • On Sept. 2, United flight 2664, a Boeing 737 MAX-9 bound for Baltimore, returned to SFO after a plastic burning smell was detected in the cabin; customers deplaned and a replacement aircraft was provided.
  • The FAA has opened investigations into both events, and unverified social-media claims about a tug or tow-bar failure in the collision have not been confirmed by authorities.