United Airlines flight makes emergency landing at LAX

A United Airlines flight that took off this afternoon from Los Angeles International Airport was forced to return to the airport and make an emergency landing after the pilot noticed a possible leak in the hydraulic system, authorities said.

The pilot of Flight 891, which left for Narita, Japan, at 1:25 p.m., noticed the problem as the plane cruised over the Ventura area, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Los Angeles. The pilot headed back to LAX and declared an emergency that prompted officials to scramble crash rescue units as the plane prepared to land.

The plane landed safely at 2:21 p.m. and was towed to the gate, Gregor said. United crews were inspecting the aircraft this afternoon to determine what may have gone wrong.

--Robert J. Lopez