Hawaii-Bound Jet Forced to Return to S.F.
A United Airlines jet traveling from San Francisco to Kona, Hawaii, had to dump fuel and return to the airport because of mechanical difficulties.
It was the third time this week that travelers heading to Hawaii were frustrated by aircraft problems.
The 287 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the DC-10 were uninjured Friday and the plane landed safely at San Francisco International Airport.
The DC-10 had to rely on a backup system to operate the landing gear, a United Airlines spokesman said.
On Tuesday, an American Airlines flight to Honolulu had to return to San Francisco three hours into the flight because of engine trouble. A second plane dispatched to take its 290 passengers to Honolulu was delayed because of mechanical problems on the ground.
After the second plane was finally airborne, the crew noticed that one of the engines was losing oil and turned around to take the Honolulu-bound passengers back to San Francisco again.
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