United Airlines launches "Mayday" call because fuel is running out



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A United Airlines flight between Los Angeles and Sydney landed safely Thursday after low fuel reserves triggered a precautionary measure causing the issuance of a Mayday call.

Emergency warnings are automatically sent if the reserves are low but the plane still has enough fuel to land, said a spokesman for the aviation authority, Airservices. Australia. UA839 landed at Sydney Airport around 6:30 am and no passengers were injured.

according to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Boeing 787 carried 180 passengers and 14 crew members. A spokesman for United Airlines said the plane had suffered a "mechanical problem".

"Flight 839 between Los Angeles and Sydney landed safely in Sydney following a mechanical incident," reads a statement. "The plane landed at the door and all the customers landed normally." But on the ground, the police reacted quickly to the alert by sending teams to the scene.

A statement from New South Wales Police, released today, said: "A comprehensive emergency response [was] activated at Sydney Airport this morning after a pilot reported a problem.

"Officers from the Botany Bay Police Area Command were informed of the pilot's concerns shortly after 6:00 am and a full emergency response was triggered," he continued. "The traffic control plan was activated at 6:36 am, with some of the main roads surrounding the airport closed as a precaution. The plane landed safely and the roads were reopened at 6:39 am. "

United Airlines United Airlines planes are sitting on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. A spokesman for United Airlines said that a plane had suffered a "mechanical problem" this week. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Citing a spokeswoman for Airservices Australia, News.com.au announced that the plane had been placed in a wait-and-see configuration due to heavy rains in Sydney at the time. An airport representative stated that he was no longer behind schedule following the incident and that the airport remained operational.

& # 39; Fuel Mayday & # 39;

Peter Gibson, spokesman for the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, told the Australian Associated Press that strong headwinds in the Pacific may have burned fuel reserves.

"There is an international standard that states that once you have reached your fuel reserve in flight, you have to declare what is called a" commonplace fuel, "Gibson told AAP.

"What this says to air traffic control and aircraft in the region, is that you have to go ahead," he added. "It does not mean you run out of fuel; you still have a lot of fuel, but it's a good thing to say, "I'm on my reserve and I have to get there as fast as I can."

Indeed, according to the BBC, the plane would have had enough fuel for at least 45 minutes.

The passengers on the flight were not informed that the slightest problem was ongoing, the landing having taken place, according to a reporter from the Australian branch 9News who was on the plane. "Not a hint, not a mention of an imminent disaster or a catastrophic situation," said journalist Liz Hayes.

"I thought:" we have a lot of flashing lights over there "when we landed, but nothing more than the flashing emergency vehicle lights that I had seen in Denver and at Washington on this trip – where nothing was happening absolutely, "Hayes added.

A second passenger who was on board flight 839, identified as Ian Lambert, added: "Everyone was calm, there was no panic, there was no room for them. ad."

Airservices Australia states that a full call "indicates that an aircraft presents a serious and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance". He explains: "The controllers immediately alert the ARFF services, if any, as well as the local emergency services, with incident details so they can react appropriately and provide information and assistance. to the pilots. "

United Airlines United Airlines planes are sitting on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

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