Newark Flight Becomes 20-Hour Travel Nightmare

Passengers who boarded a flight at Newark airport expected to go to Hong Kong, but instead were taken on a 20-hour debacle that didn't get them any closer to their destination a day later. 

NBC News reported that the series of unfortunate events unfolded like a traveler's nightmare.

• Deep Freeze to Set In Across Tri-State

The flight, United Airlines 179, initially took off from Newark around 3 p.m. Saturday. 

But it was diverted to a Canadian airforce base in Newfoundland due to a medical emergency, the airline said. The sick passenger was taken to a local hospital. 

• Travel Industry Fears Damage From a Long Shutdown

Then there was a problem with one of the emergency exit doors, passenger Steven Lau told NBC News. 

Hours later, passengers were told it was frozen shut. 

A rescue plane didn't arrive until about noon Sunday. Passengers spent most of the time they were stranded on the aircraft. 

Read more at NBC News. 

Photo Credit: Steven Lau

from NBC New York - Top Stories http://bit.ly/2FOiIXO