Share This Article

United Airlines Makes Emergency Landing (StockSnap from pixabay)

Pilots Declare “Mayday” After An Engine Fails On United Airlines Flight

On July 25, the pilots of United Airlines Flight 108 declared a “Mayday” after experiencing an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Washington Dulles International Airport.

The Boeing 787, en route to Munich with 219 passengers and 11 crew on board, encountered the issue while climbing to 10,000 feet.

“Failure, engine failure, left engine, United 108,” the pilots informed air traffic controllers. “Declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday.”

Air traffic controllers directed the pilots to turn back toward the airport, but the aircraft was too heavy to land immediately due to its full fuel load for the transatlantic flight. The crew remained airborne to reduce the plane’s weight before attempting a safe landing.

The crew made a second pass around the airport and dumped the required fuel before safely landing at Dulles. The aircraft was in the air for over 30 minutes, and everyone on board deplaned safely, according to reports.

“The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,” United said in a statement.

RELATED: Audio Released From Air Traffic Controllers Who Witnessed The D.C. Plane Crash

Multiple Airlines Experience Mishaps This Year

Fears around plane travel are undeniably heightened after multiple plane crashes have made headlines this year alone.

Early in 2025, a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter in Washington DC, taking the lives of 67 people. Later that same week in Philadelphia, a small jet crashed into a busy neighborhood, killing seven people, six on board and one bystander.

In February, emergency personnel evacuated 104 passengers and 5 crew members from United Airlines Flight 1382 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. The flight was set to depart from Houston to New York City. They used slides and stairs for the evacuation.

Around 8:35 AM, the takeoff was aborted after an indication of an issue with one of the engines was received, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) statement.

Share This Article