Lagos-Washington Flight Declares Emergency, Returns To Lagos
A United Airlines flight UA613, en route from Lagos to Washington, declared an emergency mid-flight and returned to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on January 24, 2025.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft carried 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots.
Several passengers and crew members sustained minor injuries during the incident, which occurred over Ivory Coast airspace.
One passenger, who preferred to remain anonymous, recounted the ordeal to Vanguard: “We had already been served our meals when the plane lost pressure and dropped. We noticed a sharp descent. I hit my head on the ceiling because of the impact.
“I became unconscious, but one person from the medical team came to attend to me in the middle of the turmoil. The sharp descent happened three times, causing some people to sustain injuries. We spent four hours in the air.
“In the midst of the turmoil, the pilot said we were going to land in Ghana, but we eventually landed in Nigeria.”
Airline’s Statement
Linden Birns, a spokesperson for United Airlines, confirmed the incident, stating: “Flight UA613 from Lagos to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos to address a technical issue. After landing safely, the aircraft was met by first responders to address reports of minor injuries to several passengers and crew.”
The cause of the emergency remains under investigation. All passengers and crew disembarked safely upon landing.
A passenger ,Benjamin Amaechi, tweeted their experience:
Please thank God for me. Last night we had a harrowing experience on United flight fro. Lagos to Washington, DC. The plane was spiraling out of control, lost its navigational and other tools. We had gone past Abidjan, and were initially to make an emergency landing in Ghana
but the plane later regained all lost tools and we were able to come back to Lagos with some people injured including some crew members. When we landed, we had to wait for medical personnel who took forever to come to the plane. We have no value for human life in this country and
therefore are never prepared for emergencies. Having survived a plane with major technical issues, surviving the Almighty Nigerian attitude seemed a bigger threat. May God heal this country. We were housed in a hotel near the airport,
I am still traumatised like many other passengers. I was able to get this video from one of the passengers. Flight has been cancelled due to a technical issue. Please thank God for all of us who survived this near death experience. shared as received.
Watch video below.
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