Engine Issue Forces Emergency Landing at LAX

A United Boeing 787-9 experienced left engine problems shortly after takeoff.

Parris Clarke

Tuesday, March 03, 2026 at 02:35 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Matt Ryan

[Credit: WikiMedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

A United Airlines Boeing 787-9 flight, shortly after departing from Los Angeles (LAX) for Newark, made an emergency return landing due to an issue with its left engine.
Smoke was reportedly seen coming from the engine after landing, which led to fire crew intervention and a temporary ground stop at LAX.
No serious injuries were reported among the 256 passengers and 12 crew members, and the FAA will investigate the incident.

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Shortly after departing from Los Angeles on Monday morning, a United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency return landing after experiencing issues with the aircraft’s left engine.

The Boeing 787-9 operated flight, which was cross-country bound for Newark, took off around 10:15 Monday morning and made its return landing a little over an hour later. According to reports from local affiliate KABC-TV, smoke could still be seen pluming from the engine roughly 40 minutes after landing.

“It was crazy, we saw fire trucks and police cars everywhere. We didn’t know what was happening because there was no announcement. It was definitely chaotic and scary,” Francesca Nardelli, a passenger on a nearby flight told the outlet.

Following the landing, the aircraft was met by fire crews who proceeded to hose off the left engine. Among the 256 passengers and 12 crew members, no serious injuries were reported.

As a precaution, a ground stop was issued at LAX for about an hour after the flight’s return before being lifted at 12:30.

Per a statement released by the FAA, the agency said they will investigate the incident.