O'Hare-Bound United Flight Plunges 10,000 Feet, Forced to Land in Indy

A Chicago-bound United Airlines flight diverted to Indianapolis after rapidly descending 10,000 feet because of a cabin-pressure problem. The jet landed safely at Indianapolis Airport and no one was injured.

“There was a pressurization issue and our crew safely brought the plane down to a lower altitude,” said Jarek Been, a spokesman for ExpressJet. “There was no unexpected drop.”

United Airlines flight 5919 from Charlotte, North Carolina, landed in Indianapolis at 8:26 a.m. Eastern time. The flight was operated by United’s regional partner ExpressJet, which operates UnitedExpress flights. The passengers were later taken by bus to Chicago.

The rapid descent took place over Kentucky, near the Ohio state line, and lasted about 5 minutes, according to flightradar24.com, an aircraft tracking website.

Several passengers complained of headaches from the change in cabin pressure and were checked by paramedics.

The cause of the rapid mid-air descent isn’t yet known. The plane is an Embraer ERJ-145LR powered by two Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engines, according to the manufacturer specifications. The FAA is investigating the incident.

This year, United has had problems with its regional flight partners, as well as other issues.

In April, a plane carrying 75 passengers left O’Hare International Airport for Connecticut but was forced into an emergency landing — descending 28,000 feet in just five minutes — because the pilots feared the cabin lost pressure mid-flight. The flight was operated by SkyWest. In May, a SkyWest jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles due to a landing-gear problem.

Two days ago, a United Airlines transatlantic flight departing London for Los Angeles was forced to return to Heathrow Airport after sparks were spotted in the cabin. Flight UA935, a Boeing 777, had an electrical issue with a seat.

In July, United was forced to ground all flights for half a day due to a computer glitch that prevented people from checking in at the airport.

United Airlines is headquartered in Chicago. O’Hare International Airport is United’s largest hub.