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The Sao Paulo, Brazil Boeing 777-200, flight UA149 had taken off with 256 passengers aboard from New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, according to flight data.
"After our aircraft experienced a mechanical issue shortly after takeoff, it remained in the air to burn fuel and then landed safely. Passengers deplaned at the gate and a new aircraft is scheduled to depart this morning," United Airlines told AeroXplorer.
Sparks flew from the plane as it climbed after takeoff, captured on video by Instagram user @variablecraft.
And fiery debris was seen falling into a parking lot below.
An initial maintenance inspection indicates a problem with a hydraulic pump on the plane, according to NBC.
The hydraulic system on the plane operates the landing gear, flaps, and brakes, but there are three redundant hydraulic systems on the aircraft, meaning that two can fail and the aircraft can still operate normally, reports CNN.
The plane circled over the Atlantic Ocean for about two hours after takeoff, flight tracking data shows.
The aircraft in question is N787UA reached an altitude of FL240 (24,000 feet) during that time, before returning to Newark, according to FlightRadar24.
"United Airlines Flight 149, a Boeing 777-200, landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly before 1 a.m. local time today after the crew reported an emergency. The flight departed Newark and was headed to São Paulo, Brazil before it returned. The FAA will investigate," the FAA told Daily Voice.
The Boeing 777-200 has been operated by United Airlines since June 1997, according to planespotters.
"This latest incident marks the third precautionary flight diversion of a US-operated 777 in the past month," reports SimplyFly.
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