Police surround plane at Heathrow after making emergency landing
United Airlines flight UA949 left Heathrow at 12.45pm before turning around and making an emergency landing.
The crew declared an emergency on board the flight as it headed to San Francisco and made a U-turn.
The reason for the return to London was a technical fault, AirLive reports.
TheThe Boeing 777-200ER had climbed 15,000 feat before turning around. More Trending
Police vans and fire engines were scrambled to the runway and met the plane after arrival.
Jerry Dyer from Big Jet TV, who was filming at Heathrow when the plane returned back to the airport, told Metro that there was no smoke when the place landed 'safely.'
He said the plane had used a general emergency code, which could be anything from 'minor technical issues to a problem with a passengers like a health issue.'
Jerry praised the emergency services, the plane crew and Heathrow for their response, saying the fire engines and ambulances were already on the tarmac as a precaution.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Boy, 14, fighting for life after 'horrific' stabbing in east London
MORE: Man, 30, arrested after girl, 17, raped in London train toilet
MORE: 'I am a Lioness super fan, and I'm getting tattoos of seven players on my calf'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
New recording reveals dramatic moment United flight with 200 people on board suffers engine failure
A newly-released audio recording has revealed the dramatic moment that a United Airlines flight with over 200 people on board suffered engine failure. The pilot on Munich -bound flight UA108 said his left engine had failed and he was 'declaring an emergency, mayday, mayday, mayday,' during the July 25 flight, according to cockpit and air traffic control audio. The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members when it was forced to turn around and head back to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC, United said. Following calls of 'mayday,' the pilot and air traffic control discussed plans for the plane's return, including how much fuel the aircraft would need to dump to become the proper weight for landing, according to audio posted to YouTube channel 'You can see ATC.' The tower cleared all nearby traffic for the plane's return and stayed in close contact with the pilot to ensure a safe landing. 'Speed at your discretion,' air traffic control said in the clip. 'Nobody behind you, nobody in front, sir.' Flightradar24 footage showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner circling northwest of the airport before returning safely to the ground. The pilot said it would take about six minutes to adjust their weight, before traffic control guided the plane to land on the runway. While the air traffic controller guided the United flight, there was another emergency aircraft on the runway that the controller was helping, according to the video. 'Tower, United 108 Heavy, emergency, we're clear,' the pilot can be heard saying as the footage shows the plane had landed safely. The plane 'returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue,' United said in a statement to The Independent. 'The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate,' the airline continued. 'The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of engine issues on the flight and was investigating. The flight, which was supposed to depart Dulles at 5:40 p.m. EST and land at Munich International Airport at 5:40 a.m. CEST the next day, ended up leaving Dulles at 6:11 p.m. and returning by 8:49 p.m., according to data from FlightAware A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed last week that the plane had experienced a mechanical issue. 'The plane landed safely, was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate,' the spokesperson said. 'There was no disruption to other flights.' The mechanical issue occurred as Boeing has faced scrutiny following the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced a severe engine malfunction soon after take-off. The incident saw the London-bound flight plummet to the ground just minutes after taking off and killing all but one of the 242 people onboard, along with several others inside the buildings struck by the aircraft.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
United Airlines pilots declare 'mayday' after engine failure
Chilling audio has been released of the moment the captain of a United Airlines Boeing 787 jet yelled 'mayday' after he lost an engine soon after takeoff. 'Failure, engine failure, left engine, United 108. Declaring an emergency. Mayday- Mayday-Mayday,' one of the pilots of United Flight 108 said calmly to air traffic control after taking off on Friday July 25. The flight from from Washington Dulles Airport bound for Munich, Germany had only just cleared 5,000 feet of altitude with its tanks full of fuel for the eight-hour flight over the Atlantic, when its left engine suddenly lost power. In audio posted online, what followed was 30 minutes of aerial tension as the pilots were forced to hold in order to dump fuel before landing back at the airport they'd just departed. 'United 108 Heavy, roger that, sir. Are you able to make your way back into the field at this time? You can turn right heading 100, if able,' an air traffic controller responded, attempting to guide the aircraft back toward the airport. 'Right turn,' the pilot answered as alarms could be heard sounding in the cockpit of the aircraft and fuel levels were assessed. 'When able just say intentions, sir. There's nobody between you and the field. I'm gonna keep you on the downwind at 6,000,' the controller advised, referring to the safe altitude for the holding pattern. With more than eight hours of fuel still onboard and only one functioning engine, the pilots advised they would 'have to take a few laps in holding' circling northwest of the airport to dump excess fuel. For the next 20 minutes, the massive twin-engine Dreamliner circled the skies above Northern Virginia, held aloft by only its right engine. The aircraft had 219 passengers and 11 crew members onboard. FlightRadar24 tracking data showed the aircraft making a loop at 6,000 feet as the crew prepared to return to Dulles. Air traffic controllers cleared all other planes from the area as Flight 108 lined up for its final approach. After a smooth touchdown, with only one engine operational the aircraft was not able taxi under its own power and had to be towed to a gate, where all passengers and crew deplaned safely. United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement referring to it as a 'mechanical issue,' and confirmed the flight's subsequent cancellation. The airline arranged alternate travel for all passengers, but declined to provide further details about the engine failure. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed the emergency landing and said the aircraft was inspected at the gate
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling audio reveals moment United Airlines pilots called 'Mayday' after engine fails mid-takeoff
Chilling audio has been released of the moment the captain of a United Airlines Boeing 787 jet yelled 'mayday' after he lost an engine soon after takeoff. 'Failure, engine failure, left engine, United 108. Declaring an emergency. Mayday- Mayday-Mayday,' one of the pilots of United Flight 108 said calmly to air traffic control after taking off on Friday July 25. The flight from from Washington Dulles Airport bound for Munich, Germany had only just cleared 5,000 feet of altitude with its tanks full of fuel for the eight-hour flight over the Atlantic, when its left engine suddenly lost power. In audio posted online, what followed was 30 minutes of aerial tension as the pilots were forced to hold in order to dump fuel before landing back at the airport they'd just departed. 'United 108 Heavy, roger that, sir. Are you able to make your way back into the field at this time? You can turn right heading 100, if able,' an air traffic controller responded, attempting to guide the aircraft back toward the airport. 'Right turn,' the pilot answered as alarms could be heard sounding in the cockpit of the aircraft and fuel levels were assessed. 'When able just say intentions, sir. There's nobody between you and the field. I'm gonna keep you on the downwind at 6,000,' the controller advised, referring to the safe altitude for the holding pattern. With more than eight hours of fuel still onboard and only one functioning engine, the pilots advised they would 'have to take a few laps in holding' circling northwest of the airport to dump excess fuel. The engine failure occurred only moments after takeoff from Washington Dulles Airport For the next 20 minutes, the massive twin-engine Dreamliner circled the skies above Northern Virginia, held aloft by only its right engine. The aircraft had 219 passengers and 11 crew members onboard FlightRadar24 tracking data showed the aircraft making a loop at 6,000 feet as the crew prepared to return to Dulles. Air traffic controllers cleared all other planes from the area as Flight 108 lined up for its final approach. After a smooth touchdown, with only one engine operational the aircraft was not able taxi under its own power and had to be towed to a gate, where all passengers and crew deplaned safely. United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement referring to it as a 'mechanical issue,' and confirmed the flight's subsequent cancellation. The Dreamliner remained grounded at Dulles for three days where United maintenance crews worked on repairing the malfunctioning engine. The plane has since been returned to service The airline arranged alternate travel for all passengers, but declined to provide further details about the engine failure. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed the emergency landing and said the aircraft was inspected at the gate The Dreamliner remained grounded at Dulles for three days where United maintenance crews worked on repairing the malfunctioning engine. The plane has since been returned to service without issue.
