United mayday into YSSY Sydney,
Sydney Airport triggers 'full emergency response' after United Airlines mayday call - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)www.abc.net.au › news › sydney-airport-...
Sydney Airport triggers 'full emergency response' after United Airlines mayday call
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PHOTO: The 787-900 Dreamliner had more than 200 passengers on board. (Supplied)
Police activated a "full emergency response" and roads around Sydney Airport were closed after a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles made a mayday call above the Harbour City this morning.
Key points:
- Authorities said the mayday call was triggered automatically when fuel dropped below a certain level
- UA839 was bound for Sydney, with a scheduled flight time of 15 hours and five minutes
- Police, fire crews and paramedics were on standby
Flight UA839 and the 239 people on board landed safely, despite the pilot reporting a problem just after 6:00am.
Authorities said the 787-900 Dreamliner — which was bound for Sydney — was running low on fuel, and the pilot was following procedure.
Safety regulator Airservices Australia said no passengers were at risk during the landing and that the mayday call was triggered automatically because the plane's fuel gauge dropped below a certain level.
An Airservices Australia spokesperson said instances like this were "not unusual".
"It doesn't mean you have no fuel left, and you have to land right away," she said.
"You still have a lot of fuel left."
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is reviewing the incident.
NSW Police said major roads around the airport were closed as a precaution just after 6.30am, but reopened shortly afterwards.
On the ground, paramedics and fire crews were on stand-by but in the air, many of the passengers had no idea that anything was wrong.
There were reports that dry ice was leaking in the plane's cabin however Airservices Australia said those claims were false.