Transportation

United Airlines flight diverted after toilet overflows into cabin

A United Airlines jet flies on Monday, February 5, 2024 (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A United Airlines flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to San Francisco was diverted Friday after a toilet overflowed into the cabin, the airline confirmed.

The Boeing 777 turned back to Frankfurt about two hours into the flight, over the North Sea. The airline attributed the incident in a statement to The Hill to a “maintenance issue with one of the aircraft’s lavatories.”

United said passengers were provided hotel accommodations in Frankfurt and flown to San Francisco on Saturday.

The incident is the latest to hit Boeing, with the company still reeling after a door plug blowout in January led to a federal investigation into quality control and concerns over safety with its aircraft. 

It also follows a series of safety incidents with United flights, after two bird strikes by aircraft last week, causing diversions and delays but no injuries. Another United flight left seven people injured due to turbulence last week. Earlier this year, a tire fell off a United plane during takeoff from San Francisco.


The company announced last week that the Federal Aviation Administration will be taking increased oversight over the airline due to the issues.

United also asked certain pilots to take unpaid leave due to overstaffing Monday, citing delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing caused by the mass safety inspections.

Boeing declined to comment.