United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Washington Dulles
A United Airlines flight to Tokyo was forced to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday after one of its engines failed shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 777-200ER, carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members, returned safely to the airport, with no injuries reported.
Officials said a piece of the engine cowling detached, sparking a small fire on the ground that was quickly brought under control by airport firefighters. The crew followed standard safety procedures, including dumping fuel over a designated area to reduce the aircraft’s landing weight.
One runway was temporarily closed as emergency teams inspected the plane. Passengers were later transferred to a replacement aircraft, departing for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport nearly seven hours behind schedule.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident. The aircraft, which is 26 years old and powered by GE Aerospace engines, was originally delivered to Continental Airlines. United Airlines has expressed apologies for the disruption.
