United Airlines flight to SFO experiences hydraulic leak

The mishap is the latest in a series of incidents to plague the airline since March 4.

SAN FRANCISCO — A United Airlines flight experienced a hydraulic leak before touching down Thursday at San Francisco International Airport, according to the airline.

Emergency vehicles were standing by as a precaution, but Flight 1816 landed safely and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate, an airline spokesperson said.

“A small amount of smoke was observed near the landing gear,” the spokesperson said. “This is routine and is often caused when hydraulic fluid comes in contact with brakes.”

The Airbus A320 was carrying 150 passengers and five crewmembers, according to the airline.

United Airlines has experienced a string of mishaps in recent days, many of them involving Boeing aircraft. On March 4, an engine ingested bubble wrap and burst into flames, while another flight lost a tire after takeoff on March 7, according to CNN.

Two incidents happened on March 8: an aircraft rolled off a runway and another had to be redirected after it experienced an issue with its hydraulic system, CNN reported.

Finally, on Monday, an unspecified maintenance issue forced a flight to return to Sydney two hours into its nearly 14-hour journey to San Francisco, according to CNN.

Check back for updates.