A United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER, operating as flight UA939 from London Heathrow to San Francisco International Airport, diverted back to London on September 28, 2025, after pilots reported airframe vibrations during the flight. The aircraft, registered as N788UA, was cruising at 32,000 feet over northern England when the incident occurred.
According to Flightradar24.com data, the plane diverted less than an hour into its journey. The crew performed a holding pattern and consulted with maintenance and dispatch teams before deciding to shut down Engine 1 and dump fuel prior to landing safely on Heathrow’s Runway 27L. There were 271 passengers and 13 crew members onboard; no injuries were reported. All passengers were accommodated on other United Airlines flights.
Planespotters.net records show that N788UA is a Boeing 777-200ER delivered in 1997 and powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4090 engines. The aircraft has served United for over 28 years and features a seating configuration of 50 Polaris seats, 24 Premium Plus seats, and 202 economy seats.