LOS ANGELES (AP) — A United Airlines aircraft made an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday morning, approximately 40 minutes into its journey, following reports of an engine fire that required immediate passenger evacuation, officials confirmed.
Airport operations at LAX came to a temporary halt for roughly 30 minutes while the aircraft completed its emergency landing and evacuation procedures, based on Federal Aviation Administration notifications. Officials confirmed that no passengers or crew members sustained injuries during the incident.
The aircraft, originally headed to Newark, New Jersey, was forced to circle back to Los Angeles due to a potential engine fire situation, United Airlines confirmed in an official statement. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and successfully contained the fire within an hour of the plane’s emergency landing.
Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the aircraft departed at 10:43 a.m., initiated its return course around 11 a.m., and completed its emergency landing at 11:19 a.m.
Fire department officials assisted in evacuating more than 250 individuals, including passengers and crew members. The evacuation took place on the airport taxiway, with people exiting through emergency slides and stairs before being transported to the terminal building, according to the airline’s statement.
The aircraft involved in the incident was identified as a Boeing 787-9, part of Boeing’s widely-used 787 Dreamliner series designed for long-distance travel.
