A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii was forced to return to base after smoke was reported on the flight deck and in the cabin. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft, which was carrying 360 passengers and 10 crew, took off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 8:35am on Wednesday, June 21st. However, just 30 minutes later, the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and cabin. The captain returned to LAX and the plane landed safely at 9:20am. There were no injuries reported.
The aircraft, N779UA, is a 27-year-old Boeing 777-200 that has been operated by United Airlines since it was delivered in 1996. The aircraft is scheduled to operate a flight between Los Angeles and Newark on June 22nd, but it is possible that this flight will be canceled or rescheduled.
This is not the first time that a United Airlines flight has been forced to return to base due to smoke in the cabin. In September 2021, a United Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Newark was forced to abort takeoff after smoke was seen in the cabin. That flight was also operated by a Boeing 777-200.
The cause of the smoke on the recent United Airlines flight is not yet known. However, the aircraft was able to land safely and there were no injuries reported, so it is likely that the issue was not serious.