A United
Airlines flight headed for Tokyo
made a safe return to Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday after
an engine problem during takeoff, which also sparked a small brush fire near
the runway.
United Flight 803,
a Boeing 777 bound for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, lost power in one of its engines
shortly after departure, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) statement.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later shared on X
that part of the aircraft’s engine cover separated and caught fire, which
ignited brush on the ground. First responders quickly put out the fire.
As the jet made
ready to return to Washington,
D.C., it was seen dumping fuel over parts of Northern Virginia as part of
emergency landing preparation procedures. Video captured
from the ground showed the aircraft circling back toward the airport while air
traffic controllers calmly coordinated its return.
“The fire was
extinguished and the flight returned to Dulles, landing safely at about 1:30
p.m. when it was checked by airport fire responders,” Emily McGee, a
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson, told CNN.
There were 275
passengers and 15 crew members on board, and no injuries were reported. United
confirmed the aircraft landed safely and said it temporarily closed one of its
United Club lounges to assist affected travelers. The airline added that
passengers were rebooked and that a different aircraft would operate the Tokyo
flight later that day.
The FAA is
investigating the incident.
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