A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong had to be diverted to San Francisco International Airport on Friday after smoke was detected inside the aircraft.
The crew of United Flight 801 received an “indication from a smoke detector” warning from the cargo hold of the 7-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner just 90 minutes after departing Los Angeles International Airport at 10:40 a.m., aviation records show.
Initially cruising at around 34,000 feet over the Bay Area, the Boeing jet circled back to land at SFO.
“The airport fire department and medical personnel met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution,” a United Airlines spokesperson told the Chronicle.
Emergency services inspected the aircraft, allowing all passengers and crew members to disembark safely. However, the remainder of the flight was canceled and alternative travel arrangements were made for the 176 passengers, according to United.
The aircraft remained grounded in San Francisco for 47 hours until it…