A United Airlines flight bound for Honolulu was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday after experiencing an engine failure during takeoff.
According to a statement from the airline, United Flight 328 departed from Dulles at 1:52 PM local time with 231 passengers and 10 crew members on board. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots reported an issue with the right engine and immediately turned back to the airport.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft landed safely at Dulles at 2:27 PM, and all passengers and crew were able to disembark without incident. No injuries were reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the flight crew had declared an emergency and that the plane had experienced a right engine failure. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be conducting an investigation into the incident.
In a video shared on social media, the right engine of the plane can be seen on fire and emitting smoke as the aircraft flies over a residential area. Debris from the engine also fell onto a neighborhood in Broomfield, Colorado, where the plane was flying at the time of the incident.
United Airlines has grounded all of its Boeing 777 aircraft with the same engine model, the Pratt & Whitney PW4000, pending a thorough review. The FAA has also issued an emergency airworthiness directive requiring immediate inspections of all Boeing 777 planes with this engine type.
This incident comes just days after a similar incident involving a United Airlines flight in Denver, where debris from a Boeing 777 engine fell onto a neighborhood. The NTSB is still investigating that incident.
United Airlines has stated that they are working with the NTSB and FAA to determine the cause of the engine failure and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Passengers on the flight have been rebooked on alternative flights to Honolulu, and United Airlines has offered them compensation for the inconvenience. The airline has also expressed their gratitude to the flight crew for their quick and professional response to the emergency.
The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and we are committed to working with the authorities to ensure the safety of our operations. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank our customers for their understanding.
