Engine Failure Prompted 'Mayday' Call For Flight Leaving Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — A United Airlines pilot was forced to declare a mayday call after the plane's engine failed shortly after taking off from Dulles Airport late last month, according to new reports released Monday.

Flight 108 was headed to Munich, Germany when the pilot declared "mayday, mayday, mayday" according to tower recordings and the airline on Monday, NBC News reported.

The left engine of the 787 Dreamliner failed at 8 p.m. on July 25. Cockpit and air traffic control audio published on the YouTube channel You can see ATC includes the mayday call and the response from air traffic controllers to guide the jet back to Dulles for a safe landing.

The Boeing 787 with 219 passengers and 11 crew members had to turn back for Dulles International Airport, United confirmed in a statement on Monday. The conversation notes that the plane dumped fuel before landing while other aircraft were kept out of its airspace during the return to Dulles.

"Speed at your discretion," air traffic control said. "Nobody behind you, nobody in front, sir."

The malfunction comes amid heightened scrutiny of air traffic, especially in the wake of the Jan. 20 crash of an Army helicopter and American Airlines jet coming in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C.

Minutes after takeoff 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 the air traffic control audio.

The pilot was asked, “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, per CNN.

Data from flight tracking site Flightradar 24 showed Flight 108 took off at 8 p.m. before it returned to land at Dulles about 30 minutes later. Audio showed the pilot circling over the DC region to dump fuel for several minutes before the plane made its approach to land at Dulles.

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 with no disruption to other flights.

“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 to CNN.

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