Federal investigators are reviewing a serious aviation incident after a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 lost an engine during takeoff Saturday at Dulles International Airport, igniting a brushfire along the runway. The flight, headed to Tokyo as United 803, was forced to return shortly after takeoff at approximately 12:20 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Video and audio recordings captured flames along the runway grass as emergency crews responded. “I’ve got numerous space areas on the grass that are on fire,” a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority official can be heard saying. The left engine reportedly failed during takeoff, with a portion of the engine cover detaching and sparking the fire.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that none of the 275 passengers or 15 crew members onboard were injured. The wide-body aircraft, designed for long-haul international travel, landed safely at Dulles after circling the area to dump fuel due to its heavy load.
Fire crews from Loudoun County, Fairfax County, and the airport’s own fire and rescue team responded quickly to contain the mulch fire triggered by the burning debris. No damage to the airport infrastructure was reported beyond the affected brush area.
United Airlines issued a statement thanking its crews and Dulles emergency responders for ensuring passenger safety. “Shortly after takeoff, United flight 803 returned to Washington Dulles and landed safely to address the loss of power in one engine. There were no reported injuries,” the airline said. United added that it temporarily closed one of its airport lounges to assist affected customers.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to conduct a full investigation into the engine failure and debris incident. No additional details have been released on the cause of the failure or the condition of the aircraft’s engine components.
