A United Airlines flight bound for Munich was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Washington Dulles International Airport last month, following a dramatic mayday call from the pilot due to suspected engine failure.
United Flight 108, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, had departed Dulles on July 25 with 219 passengers and 11 crew members on board. Just minutes into the flight, and at an altitude of nearly 5,000 feet, the pilot radioed air traffic control, declaring, “Engine failure, left engine, United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,” according to audio recordings reviewed by CNN.
An air traffic controller immediately responded, asking if the aircraft could return to the airport by making a right turn. “There’s nobody between you and the field,” the controller assured.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the flight departed at approximately 6:11 p.m. ET before turning back and landing safely at Dulles around two hours later.
United Airlines confirmed the incident, stating the aircraft had to return “to address a mechanical issue.” Upon landing, the plane was inspected by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue teams before being towed to a gate, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).
“There was no disruption to other flights,” MWAA noted in a statement to CNN.
United said all passengers deplaned normally at the gate, and the airline promptly canceled the flight. “We arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,” the airline added.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
