Passengers on a United Airlines flight were left baffled this week when their Boeing 757 was forced to make a double diversion before it was grounded in Ireland.

The flight, which was scheduled to fly from Dublin (DUB) to Washington-Dulles (IAD), ran into engine problems midway during the journey. The pilots had diverted the aircraft to repair the issue, but having attempted to continue, the same aircraft encountered further issues. The second diversion took the aircraft to Shannon, Ireland, where the airplane was taken out of service.

Passengers reported they were confused and worried as the events unfolded.

"It's not what you expect when you board an airplane you think maybe one diversion, but two? People were nervous," one passenger told local news. Many sat at airports while crews coordinated onward travel.

Jetstream Magazine

Beyond headlines: premium aviation stories in print & digital.

Quarterly issues • Photo-rich features • QR-linked interactive extras.

Subscribe »

After verifying the diversion, United Airlines said that the plane would be grounded for inspection. Passengers were rebooked on other aircraft to their destinations since the business stressed how important safety was.

According to aviation specialists, diversions are uncommon but will occur if crews perceive a threat. The plane in this instance diverted twice on the same flight.

The Boeing 757 is an older aircraft in United's fleet, although the aircraft remains airworthy. United operates dozens of these twin-engine aircraft, some of which date back to the 1990s. Mechanical issues can be more prevalent on older aircraft, experts continue, though airlines ensure all of their aircraft undergo regular safety checks.

For passengers, the flight was anything but routine. The vast majority lost hours of travel time, and a few missed flights entirely. But government aviation officials note that the diversions show that the system worked as it should, with pilots prioritizing safety over schedule.

To date, the 757 remains at Shannon as engineers inspect the engines. United won't give a timeline of when the plane will return to service. For passengers on the plane, the double diversion made what would have been a routine flight into an adventure they won't soon forget.