United Airlines plane engine reportedly catches fire before takeoff in Chicago

Eve Chen, USA TODAY
Updated ·1 min read

A reported engine fire on a United Airlines plane temporarily halted arrivals at one of the nation’s busiest airports on Memorial Day.

United Flight 2901 was heading from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Monday when the fire was reported at about 2 p.m. CT, according to preliminary findings from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Chicago-based United Airlines confirmed there was “an issue with the engine, which our local ground crew and emergency responders immediately addressed.”

“The Airbus A320 was towed to the gate where passengers safely deplaned,” said the FAA, which halted flights into ORD for about 45 minutes.

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United Airlines passenger aircraft are seen at sunset at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago in this file image from May 11, 2024.
United Airlines passenger aircraft are seen at sunset at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago in this file image from May 11, 2024.

United added that passengers deplaned normally and no injuries were reported, though the aircraft was met by both fire and medical personnel “out of an abundance of caution.”

There were 148 passengers and 5 crew members on board, according to the airline, which was working on making travel arrangements for impacted customers.

One in four flights into O’Hare was delayed Monday, according to FlightAware, which tracks airline traffic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: United Airlines engine fire report leads officials to abort takeoff

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