On May 26, 2025, United Airlines flight UA889 from Beijing to San Francisco experienced a loud bang during takeoff at Beijing Capital International Airport. Photo: Courtesy of a Chinese netizen

Some Chinese netizens posted on social media on late Monday that United Airlines flight UA889 from Beijing to San Francisco on that day experienced a loud bang during takeoff at Beijing Capital International Airport. A staff member from the United Airlines' China office confirmed with the Global Times that flight UA889 on Monday did experience a mechanical failure.

A netizen posted on China's lifestyle-oriented platform Xiaohongshu, known as Red Note, that "Family and friends, we've started to smell something burning inside the plane. Just moments ago, the United Airlines flight UA889 I was on, flying from Beijing to San Francisco, experienced an engine failure on the right side during takeoff. The pilot immediately brought the plane to a sudden stop on the runway. A few minutes later, fire trucks arrived. Firefighters began connecting hoses and spraying on the engine. They looked cautious - some even appeared visibly nervous. Not long after, I could smell a burning odor inside the cabin."

After a while, another firefighter began measuring the temperature with an infrared thermometer, the netizen said. "The spraying and temperature checks went on simultaneously for about ten minutes before the spraying stopped, although the temperature checks continued. I must say, the professionalism of our firefighters here in China is quite impressive," the netizen said.

"I was half-asleep, getting ready to nap during takeoff. The plane's nose had probably already lifted off the ground when I suddenly heard a loud bang from the right engine. I saw a burst of flames shoot out - that jolted me fully awake," another netizen said, posting a video of the plane. The plane immediately came back down and made an emergency stop right there on the runway, the netizen going with the name Matt said. 

The netizen Matt told the Global Times that the airline company arranged a hotel for them on Monday night, provided meals, and offered a free rebooking for a flight at the same time on Tuesday afternoon with the same aircraft model.

A little while later, the firefighters arrived. Fortunately, no one has been injured, the netizen said in the post. 

A passenger surnamed Tan told the Global Times on Tuesday that approximately 10 seconds after the aircraft began taxiing, it suddenly decelerated with repeated turbulence before coming to a complete halt on the runway. 

"The crew informed us there were some engine issues and called firefighters, reassuring passengers it was just a routine check," Tan said. 

He added that after inspections revealed serious problems, staff at the airport deployed airstairs and shuttle buses for evacuation, despite initial claims that the plane could return to the terminal.

Tan said they remained onboard for about an hour post-landing before disembarking.

"Personally, the incident disrupted my work schedule, forcing me to take an additional day off," Tan said.

The airline provided complimentary hotel accommodations, meals, and shuttle services to all affected passengers, according to Tan.
A staff member from United Airlines' China office confirmed with the Global Times on Tuesday that flight UA889 did experience a mechanical failure. A replacement flight, UA3045, has been arranged for affected passengers and is scheduled to depart at 5:30 pm on May 27.

According to data from VariFlight, Flight UA889 was operated by a Boeing 777-200ER wide-body aircraft. The flight covers a distance of 9,492 kilometers and the aircraft has a seating capacity of 276. The plane is 27.6 years old.