On January 23, 2025, a United Airlines Boeing 787 bound for Washington experienced a sudden and sharp loss of altitude, injuring 38 people onboard.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration N27903 was operating flight UA613 from Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington Dulles with 245 passengers and 11 crew members.
Flight UA613 departed from Lagos at 23:59 but encountered severe turbulence while cruising over Ivory Coast roughly two hours into its journey. Reports from The Aviation Herald state that the aircraft abruptly deviated from its assigned altitude twice, dropping between 150 and 175 feet during cruising.
Emergency Response and Injuries
Upon returning to Lagos, the plane landed safely at 03:22 local time. The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, along with Aviation Medical and Security teams, were stationed at the gate. All those onboard disembarked the aircraft without further incident.
Medical teams treated dozens of passengers and crew members on-site. Four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Among them, one passenger who lost consciousness during the incident required additional stabilization.
An additional 27 passengers and five crew members were treated for minor injuries, with many discharged after receiving first aid.
Passengers Account
Passengers described the event as sudden and violent, with one stating that the aircraft dropped sharply three times during meal service. Some passengers were thrown against the ceiling, resulting in injuries.
Another passenger shared a firsthand account of the chaos onboard, recalling the frightening moment they hit their head on the ceiling, briefly losing consciousness. Others reported items being thrown around the cabin as the aircraft shook violently.
United Airlines issued a statement confirming the incident, citing an unspecified technical issue as the cause of the emergency. The aircraft remains grounded in Lagos as investigations are conducted.
“Our flight from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos after a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft movement. It landed safely in Lagos and four passengers and two flight attendants were seen at a hospital for minor injuries and have been released. We are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause,” stated an airline spokesperson.
United Airlines provided hotel accommodations for uninjured passengers and continued coordinating medical care for those requiring further treatment. Moreover, United has pledged to work with investigators to determine the root cause of the issue and ensure passenger safety.
Similar Incident to United 787 Altitude Loss
Boeing and aviation regulators are expected to examine the incident, particularly as it follows a similar event involving a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 in 2024, where a cockpit seat malfunction caused a sudden altitude drop.
The January 2025 incident echoes a March 2024 event involving a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 operating flight LA800 from Sydney to Santiago. That aircraft experienced a sudden altitude drop of over 300 feet, injuring 50 passengers, 12 of whom were hospitalized.
Investigations revealed that the LATAM event was triggered by an accidental activation of a cockpit seat switch, causing unintended nose-down control inputs. Following this, Boeing and the FAA issued safety advisories and mandated inspections of cockpit seats across the 787 fleet.
Please join our Telegram Channel for the latest aviation updates.
