Police surround plane at Heathrow after making emergency landing
United Airlines flight UA949 left Heathrow at 12.45pm before turning around and making an emergency landing.
The crew declared an emergency on board the flight as it headed to San Francisco and made a U-turn.
The reason for the return to London was a technical fault, AirLive reports.
TheThe Boeing 777-200ER had climbed 15,000 feat before turning around. More Trending
Police vans and fire engines were scrambled to the runway and met the plane after arrival.
Jerry Dyer from Big Jet TV, who was filming at Heathrow when the plane returned back to the airport, told Metro that there was no smoke when the place landed 'safely.'
He said the plane had used a general emergency code, which could be anything from 'minor technical issues to a problem with a passengers like a health issue.'
Jerry praised the emergency services, the plane crew and Heathrow for their response, saying the fire engines and ambulances were already on the tarmac as a precaution.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Boy, 14, fighting for life after 'horrific' stabbing in east London
MORE: Man, 30, arrested after girl, 17, raped in London train toilet
MORE: 'I am a Lioness super fan, and I'm getting tattoos of seven players on my calf'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
United Airlines flight forced to turn back to Heathrow as ‘fumes' fill part of plane after take-off
A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco made a dramatic turnaround back to Heathrow after 'fumes' filled up the plane's food preparation area. Flight UA949 took off from London Heathrow at 12.45pm on Wednesday 30 July for an 11-hour flight to the Californian city. The Boeing 777 managed only 27 minutes in the air before unexpectedly returning to its departure base. The plane reached as far as Milton Keynes, then ditched its flight path and looped back to London, flight tracking data shows. United Airlines told The Independent: 'United flight 949 from London Heathrow to San Francisco returned to London shortly after take-off to address fumes in the aircraft's galley.' The galley is the area in which cabin crew prepare food and store trolleys, and is where the toilets are typically found. 'The flight landed safely, passengers deplaned normally at the gate, and we're working to get our customers to their destinations as soon as possible.' After landing, three fire engines met the plane on the taxiway. There were 272 passengers onboard at the time, along with 13 crew members. Heathrow airport confirmed that the plane landed safely and did not have a wider impact on flight operations that day. After the diversion back to the airport, the flight was ultimately cancelled. The aircraft is still at London Heathrow and is expected to take off at 8.50pm on Thursday 31 July, FlightRadar shows. Heathrow, along with all other UK airports, were disrupted yesterday due to an unrelated air traffic control issue. The incident comes just days after another United Airlines flight was forced to immediately divert back to Washington Dulles Airport after a mechanical issue. The Munich-bound flight took off at 5.40pm local time on Friday, 25 July, yet circled back to the airport moments later. The airline confirmed that the flight returned to the ground shortly after take-off to 'address a mechanical issue'. All 219 passengers and 11 crew members deplaned as normal at the gate after the aircraft landed safely. 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,' a spokesperson for the airline added.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Boeing 787 Dreamliner narrowly avoided crash after engine failure
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash nearly crashed just moments after taking off because of an engine failure. The United Airlines plane took off from Washington Dulles Airport bound for Munich on Friday but was forced to turn around just minutes into the flight. A 'Mayday' was declared by the crew at around 5,000 feet after a malfunction was reported in the aircraft's left engine. The crew on the plane were directed by air traffic control to a holding pattern northwest of Washington so that they could dump fuel. They asked the pilots: 'How long do you expect to hold, fuel, or just get set up there?' The pilot responded: 'We'll have to climb six [thousand feet] and adjust fuel.' The Dreamliner remained at around 6,000 feet for several minutes while it dumped the fuel. The pilot told air traffic control: 'We're dumping fuel at six thousand. We'll let you know when complete.' Luckily, the crew managed to land the plane safely back at Dulles Airport, and no injuries were reported, and all passengers disembarked safely. Because of engine failure, the plane had to be towed off the runway by the ground crew. Flight data shows that the aircraft's left engine failed while it was climbing after it departed. The aircraft is still grounded at the airport while engineers inspect the engine and the damage. Aviation authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are expected to investigate the incident. A United Airlines spokesperson told Metro: 'United flight 108 to Munich returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue. 'The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. 'The flight was subsequently cancelled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' Boeing has been approached for comment. The safety model of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is currently under scrutiny because of the Air India crash last month. That incident involved both engines failing shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. More Trending The tragic crash killed more than 260 people and the circumstances around it are still under investigation. Other problems with Boeing 787s have been reported this year, including an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 en route from Addis Ababa to Mumbai. It experienced a mid-air depressurisation event, prompting an emergency descent. Oxygen masks were deployed, and seven passengers needed medical attention when they landed in Mumbai. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Wizz Air launches 5 new Spanish routes from the UK – but not everyone is happy MORE: One of the world's highest volcanos erupts after 8.8-magnitude quake MORE: New York City skyscraper shooting victims identified: Everything we know
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure
A transatlantic United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to return to the airport just moments after taking off after suffering a mid-air engine failure . Flight UA108, carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, departed Washington Dulles Airport at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 25, bound for Munich in Germany . But as the jet climbed through 5,000 feet, the left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare a 'MAYDAY' and alert air traffic controllers. What followed was nearly three hours of tense aerial maneuvering. The crew entered a holding pattern northwest of Dulles, circling at 6,000 feet while dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's landing weight. Throughout the emergency, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to maintain safe separation from other aircraft and prepare for the return. Once the fuel dump was complete, the plane was cleared to land using an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 19 Center. In a statement to the Independent , United Airlines confirmed the emergency, saying the aircraft returned to Dulles 'to address a mechanical issue.' A spokesperson added: 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' The airline declined to provide further details about the engine malfunction or confirm whether an investigation is underway. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also confirmed the emergency landing, noting that the aircraft was met by fire and rescue crews and towed to a gate for inspection.
