U.S. flight aborted when engine flames out

• Tweet

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Federal investigators were examining a Boeing 757 aircraft in New Jersey Sunday, a day after an engine caught fire and forced an emergency landing.

The United Airlines flight bound for Berlin took off from Newark around 6 p.m. with 173 passengers and crew aboard, CNN reported.

Federal Aviation Authority spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the pilot reported "a problem" before it turned back for an emergency landing.

Various witnesses on the plane and on the ground said they saw flames from a left engine and heard loud noises, although Bergen told CNN the engine was operational after landing.

The aircraft circled the airport for almost two hours to burn off fuel to lighten its weight before landing just after 8 p.m., the report said.

The airline issued a brief statement saying the flight was canceled because of a "mechanical issue."