United Airlines flight makes midair U-turn to Korea due to crew food poisoning

Industry

Published: 21 May. 2024, 11:57 Updated: 21 May. 2024, 15:13

United Airlines flight makes midair U-turn to Korea due to crew food poisoning

A United Airlines aircraft, unrelated to the story, lands at Denver International Airport. [AP/YONHAP]

A San Francisco-bound plane leaving from Incheon International Airport was forced to fly back to Korea due to its pilot and flight attendants falling “sick from food poisoning.”

The United Airlines aircraft, with flight number UA806, took off from Incheon International Airport at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday but returned to Korea after flying up to Sendai, a city in northeast Japan, according to sources on social media and Incheon International Airport on Monday.

A San Francisco bound United Arlines plane turned around from Sendai, northeast Japan, back to Incheon International Airport due to the cabin crew falling sick from food poisoning. [FLIGHTRADAR24]

The official reason for the plane flying back was marked as “miscellaneous,” according to Incheon International Airport. Sources from the aviation industry indicate that defects such as gas leaks are not marked as “miscellaneous” in reports on reasons for return, but problems such as food poisoning are marked as such.

In a video uploaded to social media by one of the plane’s passengers, a flight attendant apologizes, stating that the plane’s crew members, including its pilot, were all sick from food poisoning.

“Today’s plane is returning to Incheon,” the attendant said through an announcement.

“We had no choice as the flight attendants and pilots have been extremely sick after eating food. Attendants on the ground will be aiding passengers on their trips. We are sorry,” she said.

It was not confirmed if the food poisoning occurred after crew members consumed food on the flight or before boarding.

According to live flight tracker Flightradar24, the plane left Incheon International Airport at 12:05 p.m. on Monday and landed at its destination at around 5:55 a.m. on Tuesday.

BY HA SU-YOUNG, KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]