United Airlines flight from DC to Tokyo returns after losing power and setting fire to brush near runway
A United Airlines flight departing from Washington, D.C., Saturday was forced to turn around after one of its engines lost power and ignited a small brush fire near the runway.
Flight 803, bound for Tokyo, departed from Dulles International Airport around 12:35 p.m., but lost engine power shortly after. According to reports, the engine troubles caused some brush to catch fire near the airport runway.
Emily McGee, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, told the Washington Post, “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.
The flight, carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members, returned to safety with no injuries reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.
It is unclear at this time what caused one of the Boeing 777-200’s engines to fail, but Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said, “A piece of the engine cover separated and caught fire, sparking a brush fire on the ground.”
Duffy said he had been briefed about the incident and reiterated that no passengers or crew members were harmed.
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