United Airlines parent UAL said on Monday that a Chicago Tribune story, apparently published in error, claiming it had gone into bankruptcy was untrue.

The company responded to the Tribune story -- posted on Monday on the web site of another Tribune newspaper, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The story was from December 10, 2002, when the airline entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy, from which it emerged in 2006.

A UAL spokeswoman said the story was incorrect.

Shares of UAL fell 76 percent to USD$3 before trading on Nasdaq was halted on Monday. The stock was still down 4.2 percent at USD$11.78 after trading resumed.

A business editor at the Chicago Tribune did not return a call seeking comment. Neither reporter listed in the Tribune story byline currently works at the paper.

A source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak said the company was aware that the South Florida Sun-Sentinel erroneously published the UAL story.