A United Airlines Boeing 777-200 operating flight UA803 from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) returned to the airport shortly after takeoff on 13 December 2025 following an engine failure.
The aircraft, carrying 256 passengers and crew, reportedly lost power in one of its Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines shortly after rotation. The crew declared an emergency, leveled off, and entered a holding pattern to dump fuel before making a safe landing back at Dulles approximately 45 minutes later.
Fire and rescue services met the aircraft upon landing, and no injuries were reported. The incident sparked a minor grass fire within the airport perimeter. The FAA has opened a formal investigation into the incident, while United confirmed that a replacement aircraft operated the delayed flight later the same day.
Images: KOMO News, AeroXplorer