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, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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 FAA 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.
United Airlines said it temporarily closed a United Club lounge at Dulles to use it as a hub to help passengers get to their destination.
Those aboard the original flight to Japan can expect the airline to reschedule the flight for later on Saturday using a different aircraft.
“United is grateful to our crews and to the teams at Washington Dulles for their quick work to help ensure the safety of everyone involved,” the airline said in a statement.
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