A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines failed moments after takeoff — just weeks after the devastating Air India crash.
A United Airlines flight from Washington DC to Munich ran into trouble last Friday when the plane’s left turbine stopped working during the initial climb phase.
Flight UA108 declared a “mayday” call minutes into its eight-hour journey, before retaining a holding pattern northwest of the United States capital.
In response to the critical incident, the captain maintained an altitude of 6,000 feet to dump fuel and reduce the Dreamliner’s weight before landing
Jets typically jettison fuel before landing to ensure the aircraft is below its maximum landing weight.
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The pilots safely landed the plane at Dulles International Airport after hovering the area for nearly three hours, according to AviationA2Z.
Due to the engine failure, the Dreamliner could not move on its own and had to be towed off the runway after landing. Fortunately, no were injuries reported.
The incident bears an eerie similarity to the Ahmedabad disaster, where the same make of aircraft suffered a severe engine malfunction seconds after take-off.
Only one passenger, British-Indian man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived when the Air India Flight 171 lost power and hit a residential area on June 12, killing 260 people.
A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found the switches were “cut-off” just seconds after takeoff, causing the Gatwick-bound plane to lose thrust.
However, Air India confirmed recently found no issues with the fuel switches across its Boeing fleet following the crash.
US officials familiar with the report say they believe captain Sumeet Sabharwal may have cut off fuel supply before it went down.
Investigators revealed that both pilots attempted to restart the engines, with one beginning to produce thrust.
A final report is due to be released next year.
The Standard has approached Boeing for comment.
