Flight 96, a Boeing 757, carrying 173 passengers and crew reported a problem in an engine after it left New Jersey just before 6:00 PM.
As a precaution the flight returned to Newark. After an estimated landing time of 7:40pm Saturday, it's landing was rescheduled for 8:30pm by the FAA, as the flight needed to burn off more fuel.
Keisha Thomas, was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike, tells Eyewitness News that she witnessed fireballs near a wing at about 6:25 p.m. Thomas said she heard a loud popping sound.
It is still unclear if passengers will have to find another flight.
United just released a statement:
"United flight 96, operating between Newark and Berlin, returned to Newark this afternoon after the Boeing 757 experienced a mechanical issue with an engine. The crew followed standard procedures in returning to Newark, where the airplane landed safely. Meanwhile, we are working to re-accommodate the customers to their final destinations."
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