this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2025
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105
United Airlines pilot declares mayday, flight makes emergency landing at Washington Dulles airport (lite.cnn.com)
submitted 2 days ago by Pro@reddthat.com to c/news@lemmy.world
24 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A United Airlines flight traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing last month after the pilot declared a mayday call shortly after takeoff due to suspected engine failure.

United flight 108, bound for Munich, Germany, was forced to return to Dulles on July 25 “to address a mechanical issue,” the airline told CNN.

The plane, a Boeing 787, was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, the airline said.

Minutes into its ascent 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 recorded air traffic control audio.

An air traffic controller asked the pilot, “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.

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[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

This actually tends to be fairly uneventful when it happens.

Source: was on a flight from CDG to BOS - we had just started over the English Channel when the pilot came on, mentioned we had mechanical difficulties, and turned around. Landing was fine - nothing to note, save for the crash trucks they had out as a standard procedure for whenever a plane has to divert due to mechanical issues.

By far the worst part of the whole situation was how the airport and airline personnel in the terminal handled the whole situation. Ended up having to take another day off of work because they couldn’t get their shit together and coordinate alternate options for passengers.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The plane, a Boeing 787

Because, you knew it was before you clicked.

[–] whats_a_lemmy@midwest.social 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

To be fair, Boeing doesn't supply the engines

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

To be extra-fair, Boeing makes or supolies everything that touches, controls, fuels, etc... the engine.

[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

Probably including the specifications after which the engines are built.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

What does that matter. It's still their plane.

[–] NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Any pilot nerds out there? Is this a normal situation to use “mayday” for? I know that plane can fly with one engine (though not sure if that’s the case during ascent at only 5000 ft), but it seems like ATC would give them priority as soon as they asked for it.

I sort of thought mayday was only for extremely dire circumstances.

[–] remon@ani.social 50 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Engine failure during take-off is one of the most extreme dire circumstance an aircraft can be in.

Flying with one engine is one thing, but climbing with only one will push the remaining engine to the absolute limit, so you want to get back down ASAP.

[–] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world -3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It’s not as bad as the news makes it sound but it’s not a great situation. With all the posts on mundane airline issues I’m thinking someone is out to give the industry a black eye. It’s still the safest form of travel.

[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This sort of mechanical issue does happen, and isn't particularly new. This seems to be mechanical, and I'm more worried about what's happening with the air traffic controllers.

That said, it's still the safest form of travel until it isn't. There doesn't have to be that many plane accidents with all passengers lost before it overtakes the number two and three safest forms of travel (railroad and busses). The ATC situation could easily collapse quickly.

[–] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Agree with ATC being a much larger issue.

[–] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

It's statistically the safest.

But stats don't really matter when it's you on the plane and you go down and are almost guaranteed to die.

[–] afk_strats@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I thought "mayday" was outdated and "pan-pan" is used nowadays

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Mayday is immediate assistance required. Reserved for things that place the aircraft in jeopardy, like fire, engine failure, explosive decompression, etc.

Pan Pan is for less serious things like maybe a single system failure, a pressurization problem, things that are not time critical.

[–] afk_strats@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gotcha. So both are declaring an emergency but with different urgency

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The words are “attention getters”. They don’t by default declare an emergency. They basically tell people on the frequency to stfu and listen, especially ATC. As you can see in the transcribed statement by the pilot, s/he specifically declared an emergency.

[–] EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Pan-pan is less serious

[–] Little8Lost@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Good that it got catched that early

[–] remon@ani.social 16 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

What do you mean caught early? It was an engine failure ... you tend to notice those immediately and it's not like there is much room to catch them later.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Catched?

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is more corredt to say "catcheded"

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Pronounced "cachéed"