Germany-bound United flight returns to Houston, canceled due to 'maintenance issue,' airline says
The Brief
A United flight heading to Germany returned to Bush Airport on Saturday night.
Houston fire officials found no issues with the plane.
The flight was eventually canceled.
HOUSTON - United Airlines says they're assisting customers after canceling a flight due to a plane issue.
What we know
The issue happened on United flight UA46, which was set to fly from Bush Airport to Frankfurt Airport in Germany.
The flight reportedly took off at about 6:20 p.m. on Saturday, but officials with the Houston Airport System say the plane landed back at Bush at about 7:45 p.m.
Houston fire officials say they were alerted about the plane having a mechanical issue. They had a crew waiting for the plane to return to Bush.
Fire officials say the plane landed safely, and no smoke or flames were seen.
United Airlines confirmed with FOX 26 that the flight was canceled that night.
What we don't know
There's no information on the "maintenance issue" itself.
What they're saying
United Airlines sent the following statement to FOX 26:
"On May 31, United flight 46 from Houston to Frankfurt safely returned to Houston to address a maintenance issue. The plane had to release fuel to avoid landing overweight. The flight cancelled last night, and we expect to reaccommodate our customers and get them on their way."
The Source
Information in this report comes from representatives of the Houston Airport System, Houston Fire Department, and United Airlines.
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