A United Airlines flight experienced engine failure during takeoff from Washington Dulles International Airport en route to Tokyo, prompting an emergency landing after losing power in one engine. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the agency had been briefed on the incident involving United Flight 803.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), the aircraft’s engine ignition sparked nearby brush along the runway at approximately 12:20 p.m. Local fire responders swiftly extinguished the fire and inspected the plane, with no injuries reported. Smoke from the brush fire was visible over a considerable distance, and social media quickly circulated images and videos of the smoking aircraft.
Despite the emergency, flights continued operating on other Dulles runways, indicating the incident’s scale was contained. The airport stated: “Our fire department extinguished brush that caught fire near a runway around 12:20 p.m. as an aircraft took off. The plane returned safely to Dulles. Flights continued operating on other runways.”
United Airlines later confirmed the flight landed safely after addressing the engine issue and expressed gratitude for the coordination between its crews and Washington Dulles teams. To assist affected passengers, United temporarily closed a club lounge at Dulles to facilitate rebooking, with plans to operate the Tokyo-bound flight on a different aircraft later Saturday.
