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United Airlines flight carrying hundreds of passengers sees tyres 'blow up' on landing

Incident occurred on same day another United flight was forced to make an emergency landing in London 

Benjamin Kentish
Monday 27 November 2017 16:33 EST
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United Airlines said the plane had landed safely despite the problem
United Airlines said the plane had landed safely despite the problem (Getty)

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A plane carrying hundreds of people experienced “tyre issues” upon landing, with passengers reporting that two of the tyres had exploded.

The United Airlines flight 961 was landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday having departed Frankfurt International Airport hours earlier.

There were 264 passengers and 15 crew on board at the time. All are said to have disembarked safely.

The airline did not provide details of the fault but one passenger on board said two of the plane’s tyres had blown upon landing.

Hillary Kwiatek wrote on Twitter: “If you hear about a plane landing with malfunctioning brakes and two blown tires at Newark, don't worry we're all fine. “

A United Airlines spokesperson said: “United Airlines flight 961, a Boeing 777-222, experienced tyre issues upon landing at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from Frankfurt (FRA).

“The aircraft landed safely and customers were deplaned and bussed to the terminal.”

The incident occurred on the same day that another United Airlines flight was diverted to London after reports of a medical emergency on board.

Flight 31 from Munich to Newark made an unscheduled stop at London Heathrow, where paramedics assisted a number of passengers.

According to those on board, several passengers had reported feeling nauseous and lightheaded during the flight.

The plane was around 180 miles west of London when the crew decided to turn back and land so that those affected could receive medical attention. Passengers were rebooked on to other flights and hotel rooms were provided to those who needed them.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the issue and the plane has temporarily been removed from service.

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