Washington, July 29 -- A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to Munich declared a "Mayday" shortly after takeoff from Washington Dulles Airport on July 25 due to a critical left engine failure. The aircraft, operating as Flight UA108, was climbing out when the malfunction occurred at around 5,000 feet, prompting the crew to declare an emergency.

The plane remained airborne for 2 hours and 38 minutes, circling northwest of Washington to dump fuel safely while coordinating with air traffic controllers. The crew maintained an altitude of 6,000 feet during the fuel dumping process to reduce weight for landing.

After completing the procedure, the aircraft returned to Washington Dulles, landing safely on Runway 19C via an Instrum...