A Delta plane flying from Beijing to Seattle Monday was diverted to Shemya, an island in the western Aleutians.
According to a statement from Delta Air Lines, flight 128 had a potential engine issue.
The diverted plane is a 767-300ER with 194 customers. The airline sent another aircraft to pick up the passengers in Shemya and take them the rest of the way to Seattle. It arrived mid-day and headed toward Seattle around 4 p.m. A Delta spokesperson wrote in an email that the new flight is expected to arrive in Seattle just after 10 p.m. Pacific time.
Delta sent maintenance technicians, customer service agents and a new crew to operate the flight to Seattle. The airline apologized for the delay, noting safety is always its top priority.
Shemya is a small island on the western end of the Aleutian chain. Eareckson Air Station is located on the island and has a 10,000 foot paved runway.
Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration could not be reached because of the partial government shutdown.