A British Airways flight departing Chicago O’Hare International Airport Sunday evening was forced to return after encountering engine problems shortly after takeoff, authorities confirmed Monday.
The Boeing 747-400 (reg. G-BNLY) was flying over Arlington Heights when a loud boom was heard. Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from one of the engines and the plane dumping fuel midair.
A passenger reported a loud noise after takeoff and that the captain announced an engine was lost. The plane circled over Lake Michigan for about 90 minutes dumping fuel, according to news reports.
The jet was on its way to London. It landed safely at O’Hare “without incident at 7:42 p.m.,” a Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman said.
“The engine experienced a surge in power and our flight crew took the immediate action of shutting the engine down,” according to a statement from a British Airways spokeswoman.
British Airways statement to AIRLIVE
The flight landed safely and our team at the airport looked after our customers, arranging hotel accommodation and rebooking them on the next available flight. We’re very sorry for the disruption that has been caused to our customers’ travel plans.