Watch: United Airlines 787 engine catches fire, makes emergency return to LAX, passengers evacuated

A United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating Flight 2127 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was forced to return to LAX and undergo an emergency evacuation due to reports of an engine fire.

The aircraft departed LAX in the late morning for its scheduled flight carrying 256 passengers and 12 crew members. Less than an hour after takeoff, the flight crew received indications of an engine issue, specifically on the left-hand turbofan engine. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed safely back at LAX around 11:19 am local time.



In a 1.50 minute video posted by @Airlinevideos on X (formerly twitter), the flight was seen making the landing with no initial visible damage or fire.

Soon after the landing, black smoke was seen near the left engine, prompting the deployment of inflatable evacuation slides and mobile stairs on the taxiway.

Emergency responders including the Los Angeles Fire Department were on scene. Passengers and crew were ordered to evacuate quickly and can be seen running afar from the aircraft to ensure safety.

Footage shows passengers sliding down emergency slides onto the tarmac and moving toward safety under guidance from flight attendants and first responders.

According to initial reports, passengers and crew were evacuated without major injuries. One minor injury, a cut to a passenger’s finger, was reported, but no hospitalizations or serious injuries were confirmed by the airline or fire officials.

After evacuation, passengers were transported to the terminal.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop at LAX for approximately 30 minutes as a safety precaution while the incident was addressed and emergency operations were underway.

The FAA has announced it will investigate the exact cause of the engine malfunction, including whether it involved a technical fault or procedural anomaly.