Created Friday, Jan 24th 2025 20:28Z, last updated Tuesday, Mar 18th 2025 18:12Z
A United Boeing 787-8, registration N27903 performing flight
UA-613 from Lagos (Nigeria) to Washington Dulles,DC (USA) with 243 passengers and 11 crew, was enroute at FL360 over Ivory Coast about 170nm northwest of Abidjan (Ivory Coast) when the aircraft deviated from its assigned flight level twice by about -150/-175 feet. The aircraft subsequently turned around and returned to Lagos where the aircraft landed without further incident about 100 minutes later. Emergency services treated a total of 38 passengers and crew for injuries, 6 of the injured were taken to hospitals. 1 member of the crew received serious injuries, 3 members of the crew as well as 12 passengers minor injuries.
Passengers reported while meal service was in progress the aircraft dropped sharply three times, one passenger knocked his head against the ceiling and became unconscious for some time.
The airline reported the aircraft turned back to Lagos to address a technical issue. First responders met the passengers and crew to address reports of minor injuries of several passengers and crew. The airline later added, that 4 cabin crew and 2 passengers received serious injuries.
Nigeria's Federal Airport Authority FAAN reported a total of 38 people were injured, 6 of them needed to be taken to hospitals.
On Jan 27th 2025 the NTSB reported Ivory Coast's AIB has delegated the investigation of this accident to the NTSB, the NTSB is investigation and is going to release a preliminary report within 30 days. The NTSB characterized the occurrence as "sudden aircraft movement leading to injuries of passengers and cabin crew".
On Mar 18th 2025 the NTSB released their preliminary report summarizing the sequence of events:
On January 24, 2025, about 00:31 universal coordinated time (UTC), United Airlines (UAL) flight 613, a Boeing 787-8, experienced altitude excursions during cruise flight while transitioning over Cote d’Ivoire airspace at 36,000 feet. Of the 11 crew members and 243 passengers on board, one person sustained a serious injury and 15 people sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained minor damage. The flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a scheduled international passenger flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia.
About 1 hour and 5 minutes prior to the event, inflight data showed a left inertial reference unit (IRU) failure. About 55 minutes later, the data indicated a right IRU failure. According to flight data recorder data, at 00:30:57, the autopilot disconnected automatically, the flight crew took over manual control, and the master caution and master warning were recorded. Altitude excursions began at this time. Three seconds later, the autothrottle disconnected. At 00:31:14, a stick shaker activation was recorded. Twenty seconds later the autopilot was reengaged for one second, then disconnected automatically again. At 00:40:30, the airplane started a right turn back toward Lagos. At 00:44:39, the autopilot was reengaged and remained engaged until final approach into LOS.
Altitude excursions from 36,000 mean sea level (msl) feet lasted for about 12 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 36,203 and a minimum altitude of 35,577 feet msl. At the time of these altitude excursions, meal service was being conducted in the cabin and injuries resulted.
The flight crew elected to perform an air turn back and returned to LOS where the airplane landed uneventfully. Emergency responders met the airplane upon landing and transported injured persons to a nearby clinic.
The NTSB reported the IRUs as well as AHRUs were removed from the aircraft for testing, the FDR has been successfully downloaded. The CVR had been overwritten already.
The aircraft positioned to Washington on Jan 31st 2025 and returned to service on Feb 4th 2025.
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