United Airlines flight makes emergency landing outside DC due to engine failure

A United Airlines flight bound for Tokyo was forced to return to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia after experiencing an engine failure during departure, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

A United spokesperson says the flight landed shortly after takeoff due to the loss of power in one engine. There were no reported injuries among the 275 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, the spokesperson says.

Photographs and videos posted to the social media site X show smoke billowing from near the runway at Dulles, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington, DC, and the closest international airport to the US capital.

The FAA says it will investigate the incident on United Flight 803, which involved a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

A piece of the plane’s engine cover separated and caught fire, sparking a brush fire on the ground at the airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posts on X. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says the fire was extinguished.

The flight will be rescheduled for later on Saturday on a different aircraft, a United spokesperson says.

United flight 803 returned to @Dulles_Airport on its way to Tokyo after the 777-200 reportedly lost an engine on the takeoff roll.

(????: Noah Escobar) pic.twitter.com/5ZcOTM3Z8s

— Ryan Ewing (@FlyingHighRyan) December 13, 2025