LAS VEGAS- Chicago-based carrier United Airlines (UA) flight UA1779 from Las Vegas (LAS) to Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD) was delayed after pilots announced that they had a problem with comms and they might have lost hearing (I hope it’s temporary).
A Reddit user who was a passenger on that flight shared this incident on the United Airlines sub.
Photo: By FoxyOrange – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29202696United Pilot Lost Hearing
A bizarre incident at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport or Harry Reid Int’l Airport left passengers stunned when their flight to Chicago was delayed after both pilots suffered hearing damage during pre-flight checks.
The flight scheduled to be operated by Boeing 757-300, registered as N77867, faced significant delay.
The unusual situation unfolded after passengers had already boarded the Las Vegas to Chicago O’Hare flight. As travelers settled in, the cabin door was unexpectedly reopened amid noticeable commotion in the forward section of the aircraft.
The pilot then addressed passengers over the public address system, explaining that an equipment malfunction had occurred during routine checks.
Photo: United AirlinesAccording to his announcement, headsets had been incorrectly connected to a microphone, resulting in an audio feedback issue that caused hearing damage to both pilots. Specifically, the captain lost hearing in his left ear while the first officer experienced hearing loss in his right ear.
Medical protocols required both pilots to seek immediate medical attention, necessitating their removal from flight duty. Consequently, all passengers were instructed to deplane while the airline located replacement flight crew members.
The technical error forced the airline to reschedule the departure from 2:30 PM to 8:00 PM, creating a five-and-a-half-hour delay. Passengers reportedly responded with a mix of audible frustration and stunned silence, many never having encountered such an unusual reason for a flight cancellation.
Pilot and Co-Pilot lost hearing, had to deplane.
byu/montepulciano1211 inunitedairlines
No further details about the pilots’ conditions or the specific nature of the equipment failure have been released at this time.
Photo: JFK SpottingUser Remarks
An equipment malfunction that caused hearing damage to two pilots has generated significant discussion among aviation professionals on social media.
The incident, which delayed a Las Vegas to Chicago flight, appears to involve ground crew headset equipment rather than the pilots’ own communication systems.
Aviation professionals commenting online have provided technical context about the likely cause. According to one pilot’s assessment, the incident probably involved the headset used by ground crew operating the tug during pushback operations.
They noted that the timing of the incident—near the end of boarding—aligns with when ground crew communications would typically be established, rather than the pilots’ headsets which are connected much earlier in pre-flight procedures.
The commentator revealed that feedback issues with these systems are not uncommon, though rarely this severe. “Never had my eardrum blown out before but have definitely had issues where it’s so loud you yank the headset off in pain immediately,” shared one pilot.
Some aviators described their personal preventative measures, including turning down radio and intercom volumes before oxygen mask testing and delaying headset use until after completing pre-push checklists.
When questioned about why headset volumes can reach potentially harmful levels, industry professionals explained that high volume capabilities serve critical safety functions. One commenter noted the need to overcome extreme wind noise in emergency situations such as windshield failure.
Several aviation experts emphasized the safety implications of the incident. “Having only 2 ears between 2 pilots is not safe at all,” remarked one commenter, highlighting how critical auditory function is for pilot operations—from radio communications to cockpit alerts and environmental awareness.
Another user wrote, “Definitely the right call not to depart, but if it happens in flight you squawk 7600 and fly your clearance/filed flight plan. Would screw up the arrival airspace for a while but not a death sentence.”
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