TransAtlantic Flight to San Francisco Turns Around Due to 'Security Disruption'

United Airlines announced on its website today that one of its flights bound for San Francisco from Frankfurt, Germany, was “canceled due to security disruptions.”

Flight 902 was turned around from its course shortly after taking off at the Frankfurt Airport, according to United Airlines spokesman Luke Punzenberger.

The Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which was carrying 333 passengers and 18 crew members, landed back in Frankfurt at approximately 3:39 p.m. local time, according to Punzenberger, about two hours after its scheduled departure.

The flight was “canceled because the crew exceeded their legally permitted duty hours,” Puzenberger said. He declined to comment further on what caused the mid-flight cancellation.

“The safety and security of our customers and employees is paramount,” Punzenberger said. “Our customer service team in Frankfurt is providing assistance to customers and is making arrangements for them to complete their journeys.”

• --Bay City News Service, photo via United Airlines