Engine Trouble, Turbulence Affect Flights

The last couple of days have not fared well for Tokyo-bound flights. Two different US airliners were forced to return to their departure airports after running into trouble over the Pacific.

An American Airlines flight that took off from Kennedy International Airport was forced to turn back due to engine trouble, authorities said. The problem was detected shortly after Tokyo-bound Flight 167 took off at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The plane, which was carrying 133 passengers, landed safely and no one was injured, authorities said. The incident was simply "a mechanical problem," said Carlo Bertolini, a spokesman for American Airlines.

The FAA would investigate what caused the problem, agency spokeswoman Holly Baker told The New York Times.

Another Tokyo-bound flight was hit plagued by problems. A United Airlines flight from Hawaii to Japan hit severe turbulence over the Pacific Ocean on Monday, injuring three crew members who were later hospitalized, officials said. Flight UA879 hit turbulence about 20 minutes before arriving at Tokyo's international airport in Narita on Monday afternoon on a trip from Honolulu, said Ayako Tanino, an airport spokeswoman.

Three flight attendants, two Japanese and one Taiwanese, were taken to the hospital, said United Airlines spokeswoman Rie Fukushima. One sustained injuries to the back and another to the legs, she said. Fukushima had no details on the condition of the third flight attendant. No passengers were injured, Fukushima said. The flight was carrying 284 people, including 15 crew, Fukushima said, adding she received no reports of damage to the plane.

FMI: www.ual.com, www.aa.com