In an extremely distressing incident for passengers and their families, United Airlines Flight 1685, a Boeing 757-200 from Lihue, Hawaii, to Denver, Colorado, was forced to undergo an emergency diversion to Honolulu due to an in-flight hydraulic failure.
The aircraft, registration N12114, was at an altitude of FL350 (35,000 feet), approximately 490 nautical miles north-northeast of Honolulu when the crew decided to divert course. Approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft landed safely on Runway 08R in Honolulu.
This flight is a little closer to home as it is used by Beat of Hawaii editors. Read our recent review of this United Airlines Hawaii flight.
A series of unfortunate events on board the 29-year-old aircraft.
The flight initially left Lihue significantly delayed due to another problem – a broken fan in the cargo hold needed to be repaired. After finally leaving for Denver, passengers barely had time to relax before a new problem arose.
Approximately one to two hours into the flight, the captain informed the passengers that one of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems had failed, requiring an immediate diversion to Honolulu, the nearest suitable airport, as the aircraft was in the middle of the ocean and no diversion options were available.
According to the report, the landing itself was not without complications. Due to the hydraulic failure, passengers were told that the plane could not control the nose wheel, which may have caused a significant delay in taxiing to the gate. This part of the ordeal lasted almost an hour after landing, adding to the stress levels of the passengers.
Consequences of the Hawaii diversion and passengers’ experiences.
After arriving in Honolulu, the flight was canceled. The passengers were presumably accommodated by United Airlines and flown to Denver the next day. The plane remained grounded in Honolulu for 43 hours before being brought back to Denver. According to the latest report, the plane is not yet back in regular flight service.
This incident reminded us of the last hydraulic incident in Hawaii that we know of. It was an inter-island Hawaiian Airlines flight that resulted in a diversion. In that case, the aircraft’s landing gear may have been damaged, causing smoke and other problems.
Hydraulic failures on airlines’ transpacific flights.
Modern commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 757 are equipped with multiple hydraulic systems – usually three – that control critical functions such as the landing gear, brakes and steering. These systems are designed to be redundant so that if one system fails, as in this case, the others can keep the aircraft functioning.
However, when a hydraulic failure occurs mid-flight, especially over vast oceans such as the Pacific, the situation is a little more complex. With limited options for alternate airports, the crew must assess the situation more carefully to determine the safest course of action. The availability of suitable airports for evasive maneuvers, such as a return to Honolulu in the recent United incident, becomes a critical factor.
Although these systems offer a high level of safety even in the event of a malfunction, the risks and operational difficulties underline the importance of rapid, decisive action by the airlines’ highly qualified flight crew.
Retrieve passenger accounts of UA 1685.
We’d love to hear from you if you were on board. Passenger insights provide valuable information and support for others.
Hats off: Aviation Herald.
