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Engine failure forces United Airlines flight to return to DC area

Published: 14 Dec. 2025, 16:59

Emergency vehicles sit on the tarmac following a United Airlines flight, which was bound for Tokyo until it was forced to return to Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia, U.S., on Dec. 13. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A United Airlines flight bound for Tokyo was forced to return to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia on Saturday afternoon after experiencing an engine failure during departure, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

A United spokesperson said the flight landed shortly after takeoff due to the loss of power in one engine. There were no reported injuries among the 275 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, the spokesperson said.

Photographs and videos posted to the social media site X showed smoke billowing from near the runway at Dulles, which is about 42 kilometers (26 miles) from Washington, D.C., and the closest international airport to the U.S. capital.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident on United Flight 803, which involved a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

A piece of the plane's engine cover separated and caught fire, sparking a brush fire on the ground at the airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the fire was extinguished.

The flight will be rescheduled for later on Saturday on a different aircraft, a United spokesperson said.

Reuters