Overview

• A fireball erupted from the right turbofan of the 27-year-old Boeing 777 as it accelerated down the runway at Beijing Capital International Airport on May 26, forcing the crew to abort takeoff.
• Airport emergency teams arrived within minutes with dozens of fire trucks, ambulances and support vehicles to extinguish the blaze and oversee an uninjured evacuation of all passengers and crew.
• United Airlines confirmed the cancellation was caused by a technical malfunction and offered affected travelers complimentary rebooking with additional travel arrangements being coordinated.
• Officials reported the defect damaged both engines and caused tire blowouts before the aircraft came to a stop, underscoring growing concerns over maintenance protocols.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a safety investigation into recent engine failures on United Airlines Boeing aircraft following similar in-flight fires earlier this year.