United Airlines Flight Forced to Turn Back Over Alarming Cabin Smell

A United Airlines flight out of San Francisco was forced to turn back after a worrying smell was detected in the cabin. Flight UA 869 was on its way to Hong Kong when it about-faced “to address a burning rubber smell in the cabin.” The Boeing 777 was carrying 336 passengers and 15 crew. The flight usually takes around 15 hours. It had already suffered a 90-minute delay before takeoff, according to flight tracking software FlightRadar24. In a statement made to Business Insider, United said, “The flight taxied to the gate where emergency personnel met the aircraft.” Business Insider reports a passenger saw smoke coming from the aircraft through their window. Customers were told by the crew that the pilot smelled smoke and made the decision to return to California. The same flight tracking so