Ill passengers divert Newark-bound United flight to London

LONDON — A flight from Munich headed to Newark made an emergency landing after passengers began to feel lightheaded and ill, the first of two incidents involving United flights from Germany.

United #961, due into Newark Liberty at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday afternoon had "tire issues" according to an airline spokesperson. The flight landed safely away from the terminal and passengers were taken via bus to the terminal.

A New Jersey 101.5 listener said she saw several fire engines and police vehicles surrounding the plane as she passed by on the NJ Turnpike. She said she did not see flames nor chutes coming from the Boeing 777.

United #31, which left Munich at 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. in Germany) landed around 5 a.m. EST at London's Heathrow Airport. Emergency crews boarded the plane to tend to passengers, according to a statement from United Airlines.

All passengers were taken off of the Boeing 767, and will stay overnight in London. With their flight cancelled, passengers will resume their trip on Monday morning.

Details of the incident were posted by the website airlive.net and confirmed in a picture of a letter given to passengers posted on Twitter by passenger Pete Teoh.

Teoh said he did not notice anything unusual about the flight. "No turbulence. Landing in LHR was smooth," he told New Jersey 101.5.

Teoh said the captain told the passengers "several" people on board the flight were affected.

United Airlines would not disclose how many people were on the flight or fell ill.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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