Another aviation scare was averted as a United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Munich faced a serious issue that forced the pilot to give a Mayday call shortly after takeoff from Washington. The flight experienced a failure in its left engine. Operated under the call sign UA108, the aircraft was at an altitude of around 50,000 feet. The pilots promptly informed air traffic control and initiated emergency procedures to return to the airport safely.
According to data from FlightAware, the aircraft remained airborne for 2 hours and 38 minutes after the distress signal was sent. The incident comes in the wake of a tragic crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. That aircraft was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport and crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of around 260 people. It marked the first fatal accident involving the Dreamliner model.
Once the emergency was identified, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to ensure a safe landing. During this time, the United Airlines crew requested permission to dump fuel while maintaining an altitude of 6,000 feet to manage the plane’s weight. They entered a holding pattern northwest of Washington, according to a report by AviationA2Z. Controllers guided them on how to safely maintain separation from other air traffic while the aircraft discharged fuel.
After completing the fuel release, the pilots requested permission to land the aircraft using an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach on Runway 17 Center.
Upon landing, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was unable to taxi under its own power and had to be towed off the runway. No injuries have been reported. The technical malfunction is expected to be investigated further by the airline.
