United Flight 884 from Dulles to Rome cancelled after nearly 12 hours of delays

Mixed · 2United Airlines Flight 884, a Boeing 777-200ER due to leave Washington Dulles for Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 5:35 p.m. on Oct. 2, was cancelled after nearly 12 hours of delays without leaving the ground. 1 2 Mixed · 2The delays involved a cockpit malfunction, severe thunderstorms, refuelling, crew changes and further maintenance checks. 1 2 Mixed · 2United said the plane returned to the gate after taxiing to take on additional fuel for a longer planned flight because of weather, that a new crew was brought in and a maintenance issue was resolved, and that the aircraft then pushed back but needed another mechanical inspection. 1 2

Centre · 1According to Hindustan Times, the first crew reached its duty-time limit after about six hours and passengers had to leave the aircraft while another crew was arranged. 2 Mixed · 2Reports cited by both outlets say a door seal problem and a fault with the pushback tug likely contributed; Hindustan Times reports United said the tug incident was not the direct reason for the cancellation, but that the extra inspection took long enough for the replacement crew to reach its own duty limit. 1 2 Mixed · 2United cancelled the flight at around 4 a.m. because of crew time limits and rebooked customers on an extra flight (UA3028, per Hindustan Times) that left Dulles shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday, more than 25 hours after the original departure time. 1 2

Mixed · 2Passenger reaction has been mixed: Rebecca Bliden told 7News that boarding began about 4:30 p.m. and said United gave her a $175 goodwill voucher while she sought a full refund, and one passenger on a Facebook group said they were surprised there had been no mutiny, while other users urged tolerance, citing safety rules. 2 1