Mid-air scare: Munich-bound United Airlines Boeing 787 declares Mayday; grounded after engine failure, prompts investigation
A United Airlines flight bound for Munich was forced to return to Washington Dulles Airport on Friday shortly after takeoff, following a mid-air engine failure. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as Flight UA108, experienced a malfunction in its left engine just minutes after departure, prompting the pilots to declare a Mayday emergency and initiate an urgent return.
The issue occurred as the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 5,000 feet. The flight crew immediately coordinated with air traffic controllers to plan a safe emergency landing.
To reduce weight for landing, the pilots entered a holding pattern northwest of Washington to dump fuel. They requested to maintain an altitude of 6,000 feet during the procedure, and controllers provided instructions to ensure the aircraft remained clear of other traffic.
Air traffic control asked the crew,"hold, fuel, or just get set up there?" The pilot responded, "climb six and adjust fuel," reported CNBC TV 18 quoting aviationa2z.
The pilot later informed ATC that the aircraft was actively dumping fuel at 6,000 feet while flying northwest. Controllers then directed the aircraft to a heading of 020 degrees and requested confirmation once the fuel dump was complete.
After finishing the procedure, the crew requested an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 19 Centre. The aircraft landed safely, but due to the engine failure, it was unable to taxi on its own and had to be towed from the runway.
No injuries were reported in the incident. The airline and relevant aviation authorities are expected to carry out a full investigation into the cause of the engine malfunction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- First Post
London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aborts take-off due to technical issues
Air India flight AI2017 to London aborted takeoff due to technical issues. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the incident took place just weeks after the fatal Ahmedabad plane crash read more Advertisement Air India revisits its safety standards. PTI Air India flight bound to London was forced to abort takeoff after the aircraft faced technical issues. AI Flight AI2017 was scheduled to depart from Delhi to London on Thursday (31 July). However, it was brought to a halt after the cockpit crew decided to 'discontinue the take-off run'. The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner . After the take-off was aborted, the passengers were asked to disembark as precautionary checks were carried out. Air India eventually provided the crew and the passengers with an alternative aircraft to complete the journey to London. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Flight AI2017, operating from Delhi to London on 31 July, returned to the bay due to a suspected technical issue," an Air India spokesperson said after the incident. 'The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the takeoff run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks. An alternative aircraft was deployed to fly the passengers to London," the airline company furthered. The incident rings alarm bells of the past What makes the matter concerning is the fact that the incident came just weeks after an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick struck a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad minutes after take-off , killing 241 people. Indian officials at that time confirmed that the pilot issued multiple distress calls before the Gatwick-bound flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. 'Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! ' the preliminary report of the Indian AAIB said before the aircraft lost height and erupted in flames. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian, according to Air India. Apart from the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The body will be focusing on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statment. Meanwhile, Air India and the government are probing several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The authorities are yet to share the final report on the crash.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
Flight scare in US as Boeing 787 declares ‘Mayday' soon after takeoff
Washington: A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operated by United Airlines, experienced a mid-air scare last week due to a critical engine failure. The Munich-bound United Airlines Flight UA108 was climbing out of Washington Dulles Airport on its scheduled transatlantic journey on July 25, when its left engine failed, prompting the crew to declare a "MAYDAY". The engine malfunction was reported shortly after the flight departed from Washington Dulles and reached an altitude of 5,000 feet. The crew soon declared an emergency and worked closely with air traffic controllers to ensure a safe emergency landing. According to data from FlightAware, the aircraft remained air-bound for 2 hours and 38 minutes, circling northwest of Washington in a holding pattern to safely dump fuel before landing back at Washington Dulles Airport. During this time, the United Airlines pilots requested air traffic controllers (ATC) for fuel dumping while maintaining an altitude of 6,000 feet to manage the plane's weight and entered a holding pattern northwest of Washington, a report by aviationa2z said. The controllers guided them on how to ensure safe separation from other air traffic while the aircraft safely discharged fuel. Once the dump was complete, pilots sought permission to land using an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach on Runway 19 Centre. Upon landing, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner could not move on its own and had to be towed off the runway due to the disabled left engine. It remained grounded at Washington Dulles Airport as of Monday. There were no injuries in the incident, and the technical malfunction is expected to be investigated further by the airline and relevant aviation authorities.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Why did Munich-bound United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight declare ‘Mayday' after take-off?
A Munich-bound United Airlines flight faced a mid-air emergency on Friday (July 25), declaring a 'Mayday' call shortly after take-off from Washington. After issuing the 'Mayday' alert, the flight continued to circle northwest of Washington.(AFP) The flight was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with callsign UA108. This comes days after US manufacturing company Boeing faced heat after an Air India flight travelling to London's Gatwick Airport crashed after takeoff in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. The incident, which marked the first fatal crash of a 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, claimed the lives of 260 people. Why did the flight declare 'Mayday'? The United Airlines flight's left engine failed moments after taking off from Washington. The engine malfunctioned at an altitude of around 5,000 feet on July 25. Following this, the pilots informed the air traffic controllers about the situation and initiated emergency procedures to land safely at the airport. After issuing the 'Mayday' alert, the flight continued to circle northwest of Washington in a holding pattern. This was done to safely dump the fuel before landing back at the Washington Dulles Airport. The flight was air-bound for 2 hours 38 minutes before it landed back at the airport, data from FlightAware showed. The incident comes days after an emergency situation unfolded in an American Airlines flight at the Denver International Airport. The passengers aboard the American Airlines flight AA 3023 were evacuated from the aircraft through emergency slides after they experienced smoke in the cabin. The aircraft, which was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 travelling to Miami, was involved in a 'possible landing gear incident', according to the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airline later clarified that the issue was caused due to an aircraft tire. The American Airlines pilots also called for fuel dumping and coordinated with the ATC operators to ensure safe separation from the air traffic in the region in order to safely discharge the fuel, an Aviation A2Z report stated.
