Mechanical issues continue to plague United Airlines. Yet another:

[Auggie]

A United Airlines flight bound for Japan had to return to the gate at San Francisco International Airport on Monday due to a mechanical issue with the plane.

The incident marks at least the 10th of its kind involving the U.S. airline in the past two weeks.

Flight UA35 was scheduled to depart for Osaka at 12:05 p.m. After taxiing on the runway for more than an hour, the plane — a Boeing 777-200ER — returned to the gate, and passengers and crew deplaned around 1:45 p.m.

Belinda Pitco, a passenger onboard the flight, told the Chronicle that the pilot announced that “the right engine is not working,” without offering any additional information.

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/united-airlines-boeing-japan-san-francisco-19211255.php

• On Friday, it was discovered that a plane flying from San Francisco to Oregon was missing an external panel upon landing.

• A day prior, a United Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth arrived at SFO with a hydraulic leak and a “small amount of smoke.”

• Last Monday, a flight bound for SFO had to return to Australia due to a maintenance issue.

• Similarly, on March 9, another United Airlines flight returned to Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to a maintenance concern.

• On March 8, a flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles due to a hydraulics problem.

• Another United Airlines aircraft rolled off a runway and became stuck in grass at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

• A day before the March 8th incident, a United Airlines jet heading to Japan from San Francisco lost a wheel during takeoff.

• Earlier, on March 4, a flight from Houston to Florida made an emergency landing due to an engine fire.

• On the same day (March 4), a San Francisco-bound flight from Honolulu experienced engine failure mid-flight but landed safely.

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I'd have to pass on flying United out of San Francisco right now.

[kimbutgar]

1. I wonder if all these affected flights were on Boeing airplanes?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. The only reason these incidents are being reported right now

is because of the Alaska Airlines thing.

Speaking as a former airline employee, minor things like this happen every single day. They are normally not news. But after any kind of incident, they get reported steadily.

I can guarantee that other airlines in this country have had similar events.

[Initech]

3. Gee.. you think that maybe letting the market regulate itself was a terrible idea?