A newly-released audio recording has revealed the dramatic moment that a United Airlines flight with over 200 people on board suffered engine failure.
The pilot on Munich-bound flight UA108 said his left engine had failed and he was “declaring an emergency, mayday, mayday, mayday,” during the July 25 flight, according to cockpit and air traffic control audio.
The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members when it was forced to turn around and head back to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC, United said.
Following calls of “mayday,” the pilot and air traffic control discussed plans for the plane’s return, including how much fuel the aircraft would need to dump to become the proper weight for landing, according to audio posted to YouTube channel “You can see ATC.”
The tower cleared all nearby traffic for the plane’s return and stayed in close contact with the pilot to ensure a safe landing.
“Speed at your discretion,” air traffic control said in the clip. “Nobody behind you, nobody in front, sir.”
Flightradar24 footage showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner circling northwest of the airport before returning safely to the ground.
The pilot said it would take about six minutes to adjust their weight, before traffic control guided the plane to land on the runway.
While the air traffic controller guided the United flight, there was another emergency aircraft on the runway that the controller was helping, according to the video.
“Tower, United 108 Heavy, emergency, we’re clear,” the pilot can be heard saying as the footage shows the plane had landed safely.
The plane “returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue,” United said in a statement to The Independent.
“The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate,” the airline continued. “The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.”
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of engine issues on the flight and was investigating.
The flight, which was supposed to depart Dulles at 5:40 p.m. EST and land at Munich International Airport at 5:40 a.m. CEST the next day, ended up leaving Dulles at 6:11 p.m. and returning by 8:49 p.m., according to data from FlightAware
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed last week that the plane had experienced a mechanical issue.
“The plane landed safely, was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate,” the spokesperson said. “There was no disruption to other flights.”
The mechanical issue occurred as Boeing has faced scrutiny following the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced a severe engine malfunction soon after take-off.
The incident saw the London-bound flight plummet to the ground just minutes after taking off and killing all but one of the 242 people onboard, along with several others inside the buildings struck by the aircraft.
Official investigations as to the exact cause of the tragedy are underway. All Boeing 787s in India were inspected following the crash.
There are currently around 1,200 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide, and this was the first fatal crash in 16 years of operation, The Independent previously reported.
