United Airlines flight safely returns to Dulles airport after engine failure during takeoff

A United Airlines flight experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport in D.C. on Saturday before safely returning to the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said United flight 803 was traveling to Tokyo when the engine failed Saturday afternoon. The plane, a Boeing 777-200, safely returned to the airport around 1:20 p.m. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and a Dulles Airport spokesperson confirmed a piece of the engine cover separated, caught fire and sparked a brush fire on the ground around 12:20 p.m. The fire was later extinguished.

Images obtained by CBS News showed smoke near the runways around the time the plane took off. 

The FAA said the agency will investigate.

There were 275 passengers and 15 crew members on board, according to United Airlines.

"There were no reported injuries," the airline said in a statement to CBS News. "We've temporarily closed a United Club lounge at Dulles to help assist our customers and work to get them to their destinations."

Recordings of emergency dispatchers on Broadcastify.com indicate firefighters were sent to the airport for an "outside fire" on the runway around the same time, but it was unclear if that was related to the plane's engine failure.

The flight was scheduled for later Saturday on a different aircraft, United said.