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Hundreds of travelers missed Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations by more than seven hours after being stranded on a remote island due to engine failure and a date line shift.
about 325 The passengers were on United Airlines Flight 839 from Los Angeles, which was expected to land in Sydney on Saturday morning in time to view the world-famous fireworks display and announce 2023 later that night.
But the Boeing 787 he was forced to make an emergency landing nearly two-thirds of the way into the flight at American Samoa’s Pago Pago Airport due to a mechanical problem with the right engine.
New details have emerged of how the plane was forced to spend an hour circling the runway early Friday before landing because the runway did not have enough lights for the aircraft to land safely.
Passengers also spent almost a full day touring the island and drinking beers on a deserted beach as a replacement plane headed to Pago Pago from Sydney.
The replacement Boeing 787-9 plane departed early Saturday, but because American Samoa is on the wrong side of the International Date Line, passengers did not arrive in Sydney until 7:15am Sunday.
Affected travelers and their families have shared mixed reviews of the unplanned detour.
Passengers (pictured at Pago Pago airport) traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney were forced to spend nearly a full day on a remote island after their plane
While many had nothing but praise for the hospitality of both the island’s locals and the airline staff, others were furious at missing out on New Year’s celebrations, including an American newlywed on her honeymoon.
It is understood that the plane had to circle around the island for at least an hour to make the emergency landing waiting for the sun to rise because the Pago Pago runways have no lights.
Adding to the challenge, the runways are 3,000 m (approximately 10,000 ft) long, only a few hundred meters above the 2,740 m (9,000 ft) needed to allow aircraft to take off and land.
“As a parent whose son was on this flight, the plane lost one of its two engines… The plane had to circle Pago Pago for an hour, until dawn, as the 10,000-foot runway has no lights.” said an American. he tweeted.
“I’m thankful the runway is 10,000 feet since your Boeing 787 needs 9,000 feet. They had to go around the island until dawn since the runway has no lights.
“We are blessed and the pilots and crew navigated the situation well. Children and passengers were well cared for by the islanders.
Passengers spent a day stranded on the idyllic island waiting for United Airlines’ replacement plane to arrive (pictured by Pago Pago)
The 325 passengers finally landed in Sydney around 7:15 a.m. Sunday.
About 4,400 km from Sydney, Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa, an unincorporated US territory located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island nation of Samoa.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the airline arranged a tour of the island for passengers along with the chance to spend time on the beach.
The American confirmed that his daughter and her fellow travelers toured the island and relaxed on the beach.
“My daughter is now stranded, United decided to fly another plane in…should leave 3am 12/31 Pago Pago time,” she wrote.
They showered in the hangar, took a tour of the island, and drank beers on a deserted beach.
Another American man added: “My brother-in-law’s parents were on this flight and they’re hanging out in Pago Pago right now.”
Another traveler’s mother wrote: “Just spoke to (my son) and he told me that the people of Samoa (sic) have been incredibly generous (as always) and everyone is being taken care of before their flight early tomorrow.”
United Airlines South Pacific Regional Manager Susan Lilley was part of the team that made the mercy trip to Pago Pago and shared several photos.
‘What a privilege to be part of the rescue flight to bring diverted SYD customers to PagoPago. A huge thank you to the amazing HA ground crew who turned the situation into a memorable adventure with heartwarming hospitality,” she said.
A photo of the passengers sitting in the terminal waiting to board the late night flight summed up the ordeal.
While many happy travelers could still smile after a full day of delays, others couldn’t hide their frustration.
The Los Angeles flight was forced to land at Pago Pago due to mechanical engine failure
Stranded passengers spent Friday on a tour of Pago Pago Island (pictured) and enjoyed beers on a deserted beach
It is understood that another United Airlines flight between Sydney and the US was canceled to free up a plane for the Mercy Dash.
Leonie Butta’s son and two granddaughters were on the flight but were unable to get any updates from the airline when she first heard that the plane had been diverted in the Pacific.
‘What United did was the perfect solution to the problem. There is no other place to stop in that part of the Pacific. It was really good, great decision making, so why didn’t they tell everyone? said Mrs. Butta The Guardian.
‘They seemed unaware of it. That made me feel worse. And I thought, “My God. Is this a dream?” Maybe this did not happen? Maybe the plane just left?
A newlywed American couple was also on the flight for a Down Under honeymoon.
‘We started our honeymoon stranded in American Samoa because United Airlines couldn’t get us a plane for over 21 HOURS. I didn’t want to watch NYE in Sydney or anything, this airport hangar we’re stuck in is so cool,” the bride said furiously.
Travelers and United Airlines staff alike were full of praise for the welcome and hospitality of airport staff (pictured) and locals at Pago Pago.
United Airlines confirmed that the travelers, who departed Los Angeles on Thursday night local time, finally arrived in Sydney on Sunday.
Flight 839 diverted to Pago Pago, American Samoa to address a mechanical issue, a spokeswoman said.
“We made use of our facilities, including available hotel options, to accommodate our clients and flew a new plane to the island so they could finish their trip to Sydney.”
The airline did not comment on whether the affected travelers will receive additional compensation.
The United Airlines crew who made the mercy run to America Samoa praised the ground crew at Pago Pago (pictured)