A Boeing 767-300ER belonging to the United Airlines has suffered significant damage following a hard landing at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
The aircraft was operating United Airlines flight UA702, which connects Houston with another of the carrier's major hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
The 32-year-old aircraft is one of 37 767-300ERs in United Airlines' fleet and is the oldest among them. The fleet will be retired by 2030 and replaced by the 787.
The cause of the hard landing is still under investigation by the NTSB. The aircraft remains grounded in Houston and is not scheduled for any future flights, Simpleflying reports.
On Saturday, July 29th, the aircraft touched down in Houston on runway 26L at 10:34 local time, just over three hours after leaving Newark. The aircraft then taxied to the stand without further incident.
While there are no reports of injuries among the 193 passengers and 11 crew members onboard, the damage sustained by the 767-300ER was substantial, including wrinkling and tearing in the fuselage. Pictures published on social media show the extent of the damage to the aircraft.
The aircraft in question is registered as N641UA and arrived in Newark on the afternoon of July 28th as flight UA237 from Palma de Mallorca (PMI). Before that, it operated another transatlantic service to Berlin (BER) and back. Data from FlightRadar24.com shows that the aircraft is still on the ground in Houston three days after the incident.
The aircraft involved in Saturday's incident was delivered new to United Airlines in April 1991, making it over 32 years old.
In addition to its aging 777-200s, United Airlines' 767-300ER fleet will be retired by 2030 and replaced by the 787. The carrier has 100 787s on order, including all three variants, the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10.
The cause of the hard landing is not yet known, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was made aware, and is reported by The Aviation Herald as stating, "Aircraft made a hard landing and post-flight inspection revealed damage to the fuselage, Houston, TX."