United Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 8 which was involved in the runway excursion in Houston in March, has now returned to service.
Back in business
In early March, a United Airlines (UA) Boeing 737 MAX 8 went off the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The aircraft had just flown in from Memphis, and as it went to clear the runway, it ended up on the grass. The aircraft tipped over onto its left wing, but no one was injured.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the captain of the aircraft felt the brakes shake violently before the plane went off into the grass. On descent, because of weather conditions, the crew asked to land on runway 27 and then asked to roll to the end of the runway. The air traffic controller approved and told the crew to keep speed up.
Photo: NTSB
By the time the plane needed to clear the runway, the brakes were applied, and the captain recalls the plane shaking and eventually ending up in the grass. Simple Flying’s detailed coverage of the NTSB report can be found below.
While the first officer told the NTSB that he thought the runway was wet, the captain told the investigators that it was dry.
Data from Flightradar24 shows that the aircraft remained in Houston for several months before flying again. Its first flight, which lasted over two hours, was on June 23, taking off and landing at IAH. Three days later, the plane flew again for 55 minutes before landing in Houston.
On June 28, the aircraft was flown to Amarillo, where it remained on the ground until this Tuesday, July 2, likely for painting. Late Tuesday night, the plane returned to Houston, landing a few minutes before 01:00 on July 3, hours before its flight to Newark.
The first passenger flight was UA1657 to Newark Liberty International Airport. Since then, the plane has also flown to Boston, Washington, Anchorage, and back to Houston.
Recent United Airlines news
United Airlines has been at the forefront of innovation using technology to improve its passenger experience. The Chicago-based airline was the first American carrier to roll out functionality with Apple’s live activities on iPhones (14 or newer), implemented a rescheduling option within its app when flights are delayed and allowing passengers to book overnight stays (when applicable), and just yesterday unveiled its newest feature.
United’s Chief Executive Officer, Scott Kirby, shared the update on his social media. When flights are delayed by weather and passengers look out the window at the airport and things appear to be fine, it generates confusion and frustration. What passengers seldom realize is that anywhere along the flight path, if there is inclement weather, the airline may be forced to delay a flight if a new path cannot be charted around the weather.
Passengers will now get customized messages explaining weather-related delays and links to view live radar maps in the airline's mobile application.
Focusing on providing clear information to its passengers, United has started to text and email passengers when plans change. In the text messages and/or emails, United will have links to live radar maps showing weather on the flight path. The messages are also meant to be educational.