United Airlines Flight to Washington D.C. Turns Back to Nigeria as ‘Technical Issue’ Leaves 6 People Injured
The plane headed back to Nigeria after experiencing "unexpected movement" mid-flight on Friday, Jan. 24, according to multiple reports
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A United Airlines Airbus passenger jet, picturedA United Airlines plane was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing in Nigeria after technical issues that left six people injured.
United Airlines Flight 613 traveling from Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos after there was “unexpected aircraft movement” early in the morning of Friday, Jan. 24, USA Today Travel and CNN reported.
Four passengers and two flight attendants suffered minor injuries in the incident and were transported to hospital. They have since been released, according to the outlets.
"Our flight from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos after a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft movement,” United Airlines told PEOPLE in a statement. “It landed safely in Lagos and four passengers and two flight attendants were seen at a hospital.”
“We are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause," the statement concluded.
Related: Plane Carrying 3 People Lands Without Wheels After Suffering Mid-Air Mechanical Failure
The Boeing 787 plane carried 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots, United Airlines told PEOPLE.
Social media footage from the flight obtained by the outlet shows images of items, food, and drink cartons strewn across the aisle from inside the plane.
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Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority Michael Achimugu confirmed on Radio Nigeria that there were no fatalities in the incident and that the passengers were placed in hotels after landing, CNN reported.
United Airlines ruled out severe turbulence as a cause of the unexpected aircraft movement, per CNN. No other cause has been given at this time.
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United Airlines Boeing 787-9, pictured, taking off in L.A.Related: Flames and Smoke Seen Under Frontier Plane During 'Hard Landing' in Las Vegas: 'Tires Blew'
The incident comes after the plane was subject to review by the Federal Aviation Administration in March after “a mid-air dive of a Latam Airlines flight.”
At the time, investigators said it was caused by a pilot’s seat lurching forward and into the plane’s control column, CNN reported.
According to Flight Radar 24, the same aircraft traveling on the same route from Lagos to Washington D.C. was canceled on Tuesday, Jan. 21. No reason for the cancellation has been given.
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