US News

United Airlines flight to Rome plunges 28,000 feet in 10 minutes, then reverses course

A United Airlines flight from Newark to Rome took a terrifying turn Wednesday when the plane plunged more than 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes and was forced to reverse course back to the New Jersey airport.

United Airlines Flight 510 never made it to Rome after the Boeing 777 experienced an issue with its cabin pressurization, forcing the plane to rapidly drop and the pilot to turn the aircraft carrying 270 passengers and 14 crew members around, a spokesperson told The Post.

The plane took off from Newark Liberty International Airport at 8:37 p.m. and landed back at the airport at 12:27 a.m. instead of its planned destination of Rome–Fiumicino International Airport, according to flight tracker FlightAware.

The plane returned to Newark “to address a possible loss of cabin pressure,” a United Airlines spokesperson said in a statement.

United Airlines Flight 510 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday at 8:37 p.m. heading to Rome, Italy.
United Airlines Flight 510 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport at 8:37 p.m. Wednesday heading to Rome, Italy. FOX News
The plane plunged more than 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes before safely landing back in Newark.
The plane plunged more than 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes before safely landing back in Newark. REUTERS

“The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure,” the spokesperson said.

The Federal Aviation Administration also said the plane experienced a “pressurization issue,” prompting it to reverse course.

But before the switch-up, the plane fell some 28,000 feet in just 10 minutes, according to FlightAware data.

The Italy-bound travelers eventually made it to their destination as they debarked the Boeing 777 and were flown in another aircraft, United Airlines said.