United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER Returns to Incheon After Crew Contracts Food Poisoning

On May 19th, 2024, United Airlines Flight 806 had to return to its departure airport, Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea, after the flight crew suffered severe food poisoning. The flight, bound for San Francisco International Airport (SFO), was operated by a Boeing 777-200ER. Airline representatives confirmed that the diversion was due to a medical issue affecting the crew.

Incident Overview

Flight UA806 typically operates a 10-hour route from ICN to SFO. On this occasion, the aircraft departed from Incheon at 11:29 a.m. local time but had to divert two hours into the flight over Iwanuma, Japan. The plane remained at cruising altitude during its return and landed safely at ICN after a total flight time of four hours and 21 minutes.

Announcement and Passenger Experience

Passengers were informed of the situation by a flight attendant who, despite struggling to speak, explained that the crew had fallen ill after consuming food, necessitating the diversion. The aircraft experienced some turbulence around the time of the announcement, as reported by passengers.

Investigation and Airline Response

While Korean news outlet Chosun reported the incident as "mass food poisoning among the pilots and crew," United Airlines has not confirmed the specifics of the medical issue. The airline only stated that the diversion was due to a medical matter. There is speculation that the crew might have consumed contaminated food before boarding the flight, as the symptoms appeared relatively early into the flight.

Passenger Accommodations

Following the incident, United Airlines provided food vouchers and accommodation to passengers as they awaited rebooking on alternate flights to San Francisco. The airline has yet to comment further on the nature of the illness that affected the crew.

This incident underscores the importance of food safety and health protocols for airline crews, especially given the critical roles they play in ensuring passenger safety during flights.