Overview
- Flight 1189, a Boeing 737-800, experienced a tire failure during the takeoff roll and made a U-turn over Monterey County before returning to San Francisco International Airport, according to flight-tracking data and air-traffic recordings.
- The aircraft landed safely and passengers deplaned on the tarmac using airstairs before being bused back to the terminal, the airport said.
- United confirmed the airplane sustained damage to one tire and said it arranged a different aircraft to transport the affected customers to Los Cabos later that afternoon.
- The incident temporarily blocked a runway at SFO and disrupted some arrival times, creating short-term operational delays for other flights.
- No injuries were reported and news outlets say the Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the blown tire while airline and airport statements are being used to reconstruct the sequence of events.