United Airlines flight from SFO-Rome diverted to Sacramento due to mechanical issue

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Passengers traveling from SFO to Rome on Tuesday never even left California.

Their United Airlines flight had to be diverted because of a mechanical issue.

The plane landed safely in Sacramento just before 6 p.m.

Officials didn't say what the mechanical issue was, but one passenger described what happened.

"That's all they said, it was overheating so they had to shut it off and so they had to divert us to Sacramento," Cecilia Sousa said. "It was kind of funny to me is that I left Sacramento to San Francisco and came back to Sacramento."

People were flown back to SFO on a different plane and the airline rebooked the 148 passengers to Rome.