Airline pilot calls ‘Mayday' as engines fail moments after take-off for trans-Atlantic flight: audio
'Failure, engine failure, left engine,' the pilots of United Flight 108 radioed air traffic controllers as it departed from Washington Dulles International Airport on July 25.
'Declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,' the pilot added.
Flight 108 departed from the DC airport just before 6 p.m. that Friday to begin a nearly eight-hour flight across the ocean to Munich, Germany.
But mere moments after becoming airborne the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner's engine cut out as it reached about 10,000 feet, according to audio obtained by the flight tracker You can see ATC.
YoucanseeATC/YouTube
Air traffic controllers advised the flight to begin turning northeast to begin returning to Dulles.
But with its fuel tanks filled for the long flight it was planning, pilots realized their aircraft was too heavy to safely land and requested space to circle while its tanks were sufficiently dumped.
After about 30 minutes, the plane began its descent and landed without issue.
The flights 219 passengers and 11 crew all deplaned safely.
United officials told PEOPLE the plane suffered a 'mechanical issue,' but did not elaborate further.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing last week at Dulles after the pilot reported engine failure
A United Airlines flight traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing last week after the pilot declared a mayday call shortly after takeoff due to suspected engine failure. United flight 108, bound for Munich, Germany, was forced to return to Dulles on July 25 'to address a mechanical issue,' the airline told CNN. The plane, a Boeing 787, was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, the airline said. Minutes into its ascent and at nearly 5,000 feet, the pilot told air traffic control, 'Engine failure, left engine, United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,' according to recorded air traffic control audio. Mayday calls signal distress or urgency when an issue has happened aboard an aircraft. An air traffic controller asked the pilot, 'Are you able to make your way back to the field at this time' by turning right. 'There's nobody between you and the field,' the controller said. Data from flight tracking site Flightradar 24 showed the flight took off at 8 p.m. before it circled back and landed safely at Dulles about 30 minutes later. In a statement to CNN, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the plane was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate. 'There was no disruption to other flights,' MWAA said. '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 its statement. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
New recording reveals dramatic moment United flight with 200 people on board suffers engine failure
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.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
United Airlines Pilot Issues ‘Mayday' After Reported Engine Failure Over Washington
A United Airlines flight carrying 230 people declared an emergency moments after taking off from Washington's Dulles International Airport, with an audio recording capturing the pilot's repeated 'mayday' call to air traffic control. Flight 108 was only moments into its June 25 ascent to Germany's Munich International Airport when its pilot reported an engine failure, according to a tower recording. 'Failure. Engine failure. Left Engine, United 108. Declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,' the pilot is heard saying in the recording obtained and published on YouTube by You Can See ATC. Air traffic control and the pilot discussed preparations for returning to the airport, including the need to dump fuel to adjust for the proper weight needed for landing, according to the audio. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner landed safely shortly after, with 'all passengers deplaned normally at the gate,' a spokesperson for United said in a statement Monday. 'The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,' they said, while blaming the situation on a 'mechanical issue.' There were no disruptions to other flights, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in an email. The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged the crew's report of possible engine issues in an email to HuffPost and said it is investigating. Related... NTSB Finds Army Chopper Was Flying Too High When It Collided With Plane Delta Pilot Arrested By Federal Agents After Landing Plane In San Francisco Passenger Plane Crashes In Russia's Far East Killing All 48 On Board SkyWest Plane Does 'Aggressive Maneuver' To Avoid Mid-Air Collision With B-52, Pilot Says
