United Air flight diverted back to Sydney due to 'maintenance issue'

March 12 (UPI) -- A United Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia to San Francisco was cut short after crews discovered a "maintenance issue."

United Airlines said in a statement Monday that the crew and 167 passengers aboard the Boeing 777-300 aircraft arrived safely back in Sydney after the plane was redirected.

According to Flight Aware, United Flight 830 turned around just a couple of hours after departing from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport at 12:01 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time on the way to SFO.

The mishap, credited to a "maintenance issue," is the latest in a string of safety issues for both United Airlines and Boeing.

On Monday, more than 50 people were injured on a LATAM Airlines flight in Auckland, New Zealand, after an instrument failure caused the Boeing plane to drop suddenly. On Friday, a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was diverted to Los Angeles after an issue with the plane's hydraulic system.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating United Airlines after a wheel fell off one of its Boeing 777 departing from San Francisco on Thursday.

In 2023, the FAA proposed a $1,149,306 civil penalty against United Airlines for allegedly conducting flights on Boeing 777 aircraft that were not in airworthy condition.