United Airlines passengers stranded in American Samoa miss Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations

Hundreds of travelers missed Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations by more than seven hours after being stranded on a remote island due to an engine failure and a date line overturn.

Around 325 Passengers were on United Airlines Flight 839 from Los Angeles, which was due to land in Sydney on Saturday morning in time to see the world-famous fireworks display and ring in the year 2023 later that night.

But the Boeing 787 had to make an emergency landing for almost two-thirds of the flight at Pago Pago Airport in American Samoa due to a mechanical problem with the right engine.

New details have surfaced about how the plane had to circle the runway for an hour before landing early Friday because the runway did not have enough lights for the plane to land safely.

Passengers also spent most of a day touring the island and sipping beers on a deserted beach when a replacement plane sped from Sydney to Pago Pago.

The backup Boeing 787-9 aircraft departed early Saturday, but as American Samoa is on the wrong side of the international date line, passengers didn’t arrive in Sydney until 7.15am on Sunday.

Affected travelers and their families have shared mixed reviews about the unplanned diversion.

Passengers (pictured at Pago Pago Airport) traveling from LA to Sydney had to spend almost a full day on a remote island after their plane landed

While many praised the hospitality of both islanders and airline staff, others were furious at missing out on the New Year celebrations, including a newlywed American woman on her honeymoon.

It is believed that the plane had to circle the island for at least an hour to make the emergency landing and wait for sunrise as the runways at Pago Pago have no lights.

In addition, the runways are 3,000 m (about 10,000 ft) long, just a few hundred meters above the 2,740 m (9,000 ft) required for the aircraft to take off and land.

“As a parent whose child was on this flight, the plane lost one of its two engines… The plane had to orbit Pago Pago for an hour until daylight because the 10,000ft runway has no lights,” a US man tweeted .

“I am thankful that the runway is 10,000 feet long as their Boeing 787 requires 9,000 feet. They had to circle the island until sunrise as the airstrip has no lights.

“We are blessed and the pilots and crew handled the situation well. The children and passengers were well looked after by the islanders.’

Passengers spent a day on the idyllic island awaiting the arrival of the United Airlines replacement plane (pictured near Pago Pago).

The 325 passengers finally landed in Sydney around 7.15am on Sunday

Around 4400 km from Sydney, Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa, an unincorporated US territory in the South Pacific, southeast of the island nation of Samoa.

A spokesman for United Airlines told Daily Mail Australia the airline has arranged a tour of the island for passengers, along with an opportunity to spend time at the beach.

The US man confirmed that his daughter and her fellow travelers toured the island and relaxed on the beach.

“My daughter is now stranded, United have decided to fly another plane in … which departed at 3am 12/31. Pago Pago time should fly,” he wrote.

“They showered in the hangar, toured the island and drank beer on the secluded beach.”

Another US man added: “My brother-in-law’s parents were on that flight and are hanging out in Pago Pago at the moment.”

The mother of another traveler wrote: “I was just speaking to (my son) and he said the Samoan people (sic) have been incredibly generous (as they always are) and everyone is being looked after before their flight tomorrow morning.”

United Airlines regional manager in the South Pacific, Susan Lilley, was part of the crew that delivered the coup de grace to Pago Pago and shared several photos.

“What a privilege to be part of the rescue flight to bring customers who are being diverted to PagoPago to SYD. A big thank you to the amazing HA ground crew who turned the situation into an unforgettable adventure with heartwarming hospitality,” she said.

A photo of passengers seated in the terminal waiting to board the night flight sums up the ordeal.

While many happy travelers could still smile after a full day of delays, others couldn’t hide their frustration.

The flight from Los Angeles had to land in Pago Pago due to a mechanical failure in the engine

Stranded passengers spent Friday on an island tour on Pago Pago (pictured) enjoying beers on a secluded beach

Another United Airlines flight between Sydney and the US is understood to have been canceled to free up a plane for the coup de grace.

Leonie Butta’s son and two granddaughters were on the flight but were unable to get news from the airline when she first heard the plane had been diverted in the Pacific.

“What United did was the perfect solution to the problem. There is nowhere else to stop over this part of the Pacific. It was a really good, great decision-making – why didn’t they just tell everyone?’ Ms Butta told The Guardian.

‘They didn’t seem to notice. It made me feel worse. And I thought, “My God. Is this a dream?” Maybe that didn’t happen? Maybe the plane is just gone?

A newly married US couple was also on the flight for their honeymoon Down Under.

“Starting our honeymoon stranded in American Samoa as United Airlines were unable to get us a plane for over 21 HOURS. I didn’t want to see NYE in Sydney or anything, this airport hangar we’re stuck in is awesome,” fumed the bride.

Both travelers and United Airlines employees praise the welcome and hospitality of airport staff (pictured) and locals in Pago Pago

United Airlines confirmed that travelers who left Los Angeles on Thursday evening local time finally arrived in Sydney on Sunday.

“Flight 839 was diverted to Pago Pago, American Samoa to fix a mechanical problem,” a spokeswoman said.

“We used our facilities, including available hotel options, to accommodate our clients and flew to the island on a new aircraft so they could complete their trip to Sydney.”

The airline did not say whether affected travelers would receive further compensation.

The United Airlines crew that gave the coup de grace to America Samoa was full of praise for the ground crew at Pago Pago (pictured)