A United Airlines flight en route to Newark, New Jersey, made a safe landing at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday. This action followed a report by the crew of a fire in the cabin, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
United Airlines flight 1513, a Boeing plane carrying 98 passengers and five crew members, safely touched down at the airport around 4:45 p.m. local time. The flight had departed from Key West International Airport in Florida and was traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport.
A spokesperson for United Airlines informed FOX Business that the aircraft landed in Washington, D.C., to investigate light smoke emanating from a galley oven. All passengers disembarked normally at the gate, and the airline arranged for another aircraft to transport passengers to Newark that evening. The FAA announced that it would conduct an investigation into the incident.
Separately, an earlier incident on March 28 involved a Delta Air Lines plane that narrowly avoided a midair collision with a T-38 Air Force jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This close call occurred shortly after a fatal January collision at the same airport. Delta Air Lines Flight 2983, an Airbus A319 heading to Minneapolis-St. Paul, had a near miss with four Air Force T-38 Talons destined for a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery.
According to the FAA and the U.S. Air Force, the aircraft received an onboard alert of a nearby aircraft, prompting air traffic controllers to issue corrective instructions. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) acknowledged the occurrence of a “loss of separation” shortly after the plane’s departure from DCA. The Delta flight carried two pilots, three flight attendants, and 131 passengers.
Delta officials stated that the flight crew adhered to the traffic alert and collision avoidance system instructions as per their training and procedures. The FAA will also investigate this incident. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority declined to provide additional details about the incident on Thursday.