Plane issue on United flight to Sydney leaves 300 stuck in American Samoa

A plane load of passengers en route to Sydney for New Year will miss the celebration entirely due to a plane problem and a date line flip.

A plane load of passengers en route to Sydney from the United States for New Year’s Eve saw their celebration dreams fade away due to a mechanical issue and then a subsequent date line change.

More than 300 United Airlines’ passengers en route from Los Angeles found themselves in American Samoa rather than Sydney after their plane made an emergency landing due to an engine issue.

United flight 839 landed at Pago Pago Airport around midnight on Friday.

The Boeing 787 left LA on Thursday night and had been due in Sydney early on Saturday, well in time to head down to the harbour for New Year bubbles and fireworks.

United #UA839 from Los Angeles to Sydney diverted to Pago Pago in the middle of the Pacific due to right engine issuehttps://t.co/es2ZuhExaBpic.twitter.com/KQMiQh5Jev

— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) December 30, 2022

But it wasn't to be, landing in the US island territory at 6.22am on Friday instead.

“Today’s flight diverted to Pago Pago to address a mechanical issue,” a statement from the airline read.

“We’re making use of our facilities, including available hotel options, to accommodate our customers, and will fly in a new aircraft to the island so they can finish their trip to Sydney

soon.”

Relatives of passengers took to Twitter to say those on board were being looked after by locals on the island.

“My daughter is now stranded,” one man tweeted.

“They (passengers) showered at hanger, got tour of island and drinking beers on deserted beach.”

My daughter is now stranded, United decided to fly another plane in from LAX…should depart 3am 12/31 Pago Pago time. They showered at hanger, got tour of Island and drinking beers on deserted beach.

— Rick Lechtman (@rlechtman) December 31, 2022

New Year miss

Just spoke with (my son) and he said the Samoan ppl (sic) have been incredibly generous (as they always are) and everyone is being looked after before their flight early tomorrow morning,” she wrote.

United cancelled a flight due to take off from Sydney to Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve and diverted that plane to Pago Pago instead to pick up the stranded travellers, according to travel blog One Mile at a Time.

It arrived in American Samoa just after midnight on New Year’s Eve and departed soon after.

But because American Samoa is on the wrong side of the International Date Line, passengers won’t get to Sydney until 7am on New Year’s Day, entirely missing the big event.