Officials are investigating after a United Airlines flight lost an engine Saturday on takeoff and also sparked a fire on a Virginia runway.
The United flight 803, a Boeing 777-200, took off from Dulles International Airport heading to Tokyo but was forced to return when the incident happened that afternoon, ABC 6 reported, citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
An airport spokesperson said the jet ignited a brushfire around the runway when it took off.
According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, no one suffered any injuries as a result and the plane landed safely, ABC News reported, adding there were 275 passengers onboard and 15 crew members.
Video footage shows the brushfires along the runway, and the CBS News clip also featured audio of a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority official stating, “I’ve got numerous space areas on the grass that are on fire.”
The outlet said the jet has two large engines and the plane is designed for long trips:
Per the ABC article, “During takeoff at about 12:20 p.m., the left engine failed and a piece of engine cover separated and caught fire, sparking a mulch fire near the runway, according to Duffy and airport officials.”
Officials with the Loudoun County, Fairfax County, and airport fire and rescue rushed to the area to quell the flames when they ignited, Fox 5 reported.
In a statement, the airline said, “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. We’ve temporarily closed a United Club lounge at Dulles to help assist our customers and work to get them to their destinations. United is grateful to our crews and to the teams at Washington Dulles for their quick work to help ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
The jet was laden with so much fuel, it had to circle the area for a while and dump the fuel, according to Fox.
