United Airlines flight UA127, a Boeing 767-400ER en route from Rome to Washington Dulles, returned to Dublin Airport yesterday after a reported engine failure prompted the crew to dump fuel and execute a diversion.
The aircraft, which had departed Rome Fiumicino Airport at 10:15 local time yesterday, gained “most tracked flight” status on Flightradar24 as it circled over the Irish Sea for two hours to reduce its weight from 150 tonnes to 120 tonnes before landing at Dublin at 07:45 Irish time.
Emergency services, including fire crews and ambulances from Dublin Airport Authority, met the plane on the runway, where all 215 passengers and 12 crew members disembarked without injury. T
he flight path data from Flightradar24 confirms the diversion occurred 45 minutes into the transatlantic leg, with the pilot declaring a PAN-PAN urgency call to Shannon Air Traffic Control. United Airlines confirmed the issue involved one of the General Electric CF6 engines, which showed reduced thrust, but stated the aircraft landed under its own power.
Passengers received €250 vouchers for meals and refreshments at Terminal 1, with United arranging hotel stays at nearby properties for those requiring overnight accommodation.
The airline scheduled a replacement Boeing 777-200ER, flight UA1289, to depart Dublin for Washington Dulles at 14:00 today, carrying the original passengers onward.
Maintenance teams from United’s European base in Shannon began inspections on the 767-400ER at 09:00, with preliminary reports indicating a possible turbine blade fault; full repairs could extend to 48 hours, costing an estimated €1.2 million including parts and labour. Dublin Airport reported no disruptions to other operations, though two inbound flights from London Heathrow experienced 20-minute holding patterns.
The Irish Aviation Authority opened an investigation under EASA regulations, with findings due within 30 days. United Airlines operates UA127 daily on this route using widebody aircraft to accommodate 200 to 250 passengers.
This incident marks the third reported engine diversion for United’s long-haul fleet in 2025, following events in January and September. Passengers affected by the delay can claim compensation up to €600 under EU261 rules through the United website. The Boeing 767-400ER, registration N630UA, entered service in 2001 and has logged 85,000 flight hours.
