Photo: Shutterstock Two separate commercial aviation incidents involving United Airlines and Southwest Airlines occurred in the United States on Tuesday, September 8, with both flights landing safely and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launching investigations.
United Airline. Photo: Bradley Caslin / Shutterstock.comUnited Flight 18 was flying from Milan Malpensa Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport when the crew reported a passenger disturbance.
The Boeing 777 landed safely at Bangor International Airport at approximately 12 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
The unscheduled landing in Maine interrupted what would normally be a nonstop transatlantic journey between Italy and the New York area.
The FAA's initial statement did not provide details about the passenger disturbance or say what behavior prompted the crew to land at Bangor.
At the end of August, United Airlines Flight 1403 landed in Las Vegas after its crew reported an engine issue while flying from Los Angeles to Newark
Photo: ShutterstockA separate incident occurred several hours later involving Southwest Airlines Flight 1379.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and was scheduled to fly to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston.
According to the FAA, the crew reported striking birds during the departure. The aircraft subsequently landed safely at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time.
The FAA did not report injuries or additional details about the aircraft's condition in its initial statement.
Bird strikes are a known aviation hazard, particularly during takeoff and landing when aircraft operate at lower altitudes.