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.