LOS ANGELES — A United Airlines transcontinental flight bound for Newark was forced to turn back and make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) late Thursday evening following a mid-air technical disruption.
United Airlines Flight UA3926 departed LAX from Runway 25R at approximately 9:15 PM PDT on August 6, 2026, heading east toward Newark Liberty International Airport. Flight tracking data shows the 31-year-old Boeing 757-200 (registration N14106) reached its cruising altitude of 31,000 feet as it crossed into airspace over Utah.
Less than an hour into the flight, the flight crew transmitted a squawk 7700 code (the international signal declaring an inflight emergency) citing an “unexpected operational issue.”
The aircraft executed a U-turn over Utah and reversed course back toward Southern California. It landed safely back at LAX 1 hour and 47 minutes after initial departure.
United Airlines subsequently canceled the flight, and passengers were deplaned at LAX to be rebooked on alternate flights. The airline has not provided additional technical details regarding the specific nature of the operational issue.

