India, Dec. 14 -- A Tokyo-bound United Airlines flight was forced to return to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia due to engine failure shortly after takeoff on Saturday afternoon.

United Flight 803, which landed back safely, had experienced the engine failure during departure, Reuters news agency quoted the Federal Aviation Administration as saying.

Visuals, including purported photographs and videos of the incident being circulated on social media platforms, showed smoke billowing from near a runway at the Dulles airport. Dulles is located about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington, D.C., and is the closest international airport to the US capital.

The flight, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, landed back shortly after takeoff aft...