Las Vegas, United States: United Airlines Flight 1403, a Boeing 757-200 operating from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), was diverted to Las Vegas on August 27 after the crew reported an engine issue while the aircraft was climbing through about 32,000 feet.
The flight, operated by United Airlines with 176 passengers and seven crew members onboard, departed Los Angeles at about 6:21 a.m. local time. According to aviation incident data, the aircraft, registered N34131, was climbing through FL320 when the crew stopped the climb, began descending and diverted toward Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after experiencing a problem with the left-hand engine. The aircraft is identified as a Boeing 757-200 equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines.
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 26R at Harry Reid International Airport at around 7 a.m. local time. The aircraft landed about 25 minutes after diverting toward Las Vegas, while other reports place the landing roughly 40 minutes after its departure from Los Angeles. After landing, the aircraft vacated the runway and stopped while emergency services inspected the left-hand engine and brakes.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the diversion, stating: “United Airlines Flight 1403 landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 27, after the crew reported an engine issue.” The FAA added that the Boeing 757-200 had departed Los Angeles and was traveling to Newark and said, “The FAA will investigate.”
United Airlines also confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an engine issue. The airline said all 176 passengers and seven crew members safely deplaned in Las Vegas and were awaiting another flight to continue their journey to Newark. The airline has not publicly disclosed the precise nature of the engine problem or confirmed that an engine actually failed.
A passenger later posted on X claiming that the aircraft suffered an “engine failure at 31,000 feet” and described the emergency landing as “Terrifying!” The passenger also shared a photograph taken from the aircraft. However, that account remains a passenger report and should not be treated as an official finding. The FAA and United have so far referred only to an engine issue or engine problem.
Flight-tracking data confirms that N34131 was diverted from its scheduled Los Angeles-Newark operation to Las Vegas. The aircraft was subsequently removed from the flight, while a replacement Boeing 757-200, registration N13113, was used to continue the journey. That replacement aircraft later diverted to Cleveland, Ohio, and the remaining portion of the service was cancelled. Flight records show the passengers’ journey was therefore significantly disrupted before they could reach Newark.
The exact cause of the engine problem remains unknown. No injuries were reported, and all 183 people onboard were safely brought off the aircraft after the emergency landing. The FAA investigation is expected to determine what triggered the engine issue and whether any component or system failure contributed to the diversion.
