Over the weekend, a United Airlines Airbus A321neo was briefly grounded after an incident involving a cup of coffee belonging to one of the aircraft's pilots. Reports online suggest that the modern narrowbody twinjet's departure was delayed by around three hours after the hot drink was spilled in the plane's cockpit.

While a trivial matter at face value, the complex electrical systems located on the flight deck of a modern airliner (and the potential damage that the unwanted presence of a liquid might cause) mean that safety has to come first in such situations. In the end, the flight in question was only delayed, rather than canceled, but, as it happens, this isn't the first time that coffee has caused disruption.

A Small Spillage Led To A Big Delay

United Airlines flight UA199

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