United 777 Diverts To Amsterdam, Then Newark In Rare 24-Hour Double Diversion Flight

United Airlines flight UA969 from Amsterdam to San Francisco endured an extraordinary travel disruption after a Boeing 777-200ER suffered two separate diversions. The journey began with a routine departure from AMS around 3 PM local on May 24, but the aircraft turned back over the North Sea and landed back at Schiphol for technical inspections. The same airplane was cleared to depart again later that evening, yet the second attempt also failed to reach San Francisco and diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport instead. After several hours on the ground in Amsterdam, the aircraft continued to the West Coast the following morning. United has not publicly confirmed the exact cause, though officials emphasize that returning to base can be the safest option.