A flight bound for Tokyo safely returned to Washington Dulles International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday after part of an engine cover broke off and caught fire, sending debris to the ground that ignited a small brush fire near a runway, officials said.
The flight, United Airlines 803, landed at the airport about 1:20 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew members.
In a statement, United Airlines said the plane, a Boeing 777-200ER, lost power in one engine shortly after takeoff, forcing it to return to the airport. The flight was carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members, the airlines said.
“United is grateful to our crews and to the teams at Washington Dulles for their quick work to help ensure the safety of everyone involved,” the statement said.
Sean Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, said on social media that a piece of an engine cover came off and caught fire. This, he wrote, caused a brush fire on the ground.
Emily McGee, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said the brush fire near a runway was quickly extinguished.
The F.A.A. said it would investigate.
Anthony Beverley of Fredericksburg, Va., was grilling steaks outside his house ahead of the Army-Navy game Saturday afternoon when he heard a plane fly directly overhead.
This wasn’t out of the norm, he said, as he lives about a 30-minute drive south of Marine Corps Base Quantico and was accustomed to seeing military aircraft.
But when he saw a commercial plane banking hard with what appeared to be jet fuel being dumped, he said he knew something was amiss.
“I’ve been in my house since 2009 and aircrafts have never come over here that low unless it was an actual military aircraft that’s usually going to Quantico,” said Mr. Beverley, an Army veteran.
He said the plane then leveled off and circled back approximately five minutes later, heading toward Washington Dulles.
The airlines said it planned to reschedule the flight to Tokyo with a different plane. Air traffic was briefly disrupted as crews assessed the situation.
Ashley Ahn contributed reporting.
Mark Walker is a Times reporter who covers breaking news and culture.
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