20260302010669I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 787-9 · Los Angeles, CA · March 2, 2026

Date: March 2, 2026 · 10:53 local
Place: Los Angeles, CA
Airport: Los Angeles International
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: CALA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N24972
NTSB investigation: NTSBDCA26LA184
Reported as: Boeing 787-9
Reported engine: GE GENX series
People aboard: 250
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 17,545 total

N24972Registered now · Boeing 787-9S/N 40939 · Built 2018 Airframe modelBoeing 787-9 Engine modelGE GENX seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On March 2, 2026, privacy data omitted experienced a left engine fire during climb. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 with genx engines departed Los Angeles International Airport (klax) from runway 25R en route to newark liberty international airport (kewr). Approximately 10 minutes after takeoff at an altitude of 18,000 feet, there were multiple faults on the left engine including high vibration, engine thrust, engine surge, and detect fire. The first fire bottle was discharged and the faults briefly subsided, but upon the fault returns, the second fire bottle was discharged. The left engine was then shut down in flight and the aircraft turned back towards the airport. About 36 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft returned to klax and landed safely on runway 25L. After landing, a third detect fire fault and a corresponding third left engine fire occurred. An emergency evacuation was completed on runway 25L, and passengers were evacuated via the slides.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 2, 2026, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED A LEFT ENGINE FIRE DURING CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT, A BOEING 787-9 WITH GENX ENGINES DEPARTED LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLAX) FROM RUNWAY 25R EN ROUTE TO NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KEWR). APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF AT AN ALTITUDE OF 18,000 FEET, THERE WERE MULTIPLE FAULTS ON THE LEFT ENGINE INCLUDING HIGH VIBRATION, ENGINE THRUST, ENGINE SURGE, AND DETECT FIRE. THE FIRST FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED AND THE FAULTS BRIEFLY SUBSIDED, BUT UPON THE FAULT RETURNS, THE SECOND FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS THEN SHUT DOWN IN FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT. ABOUT 36 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO KLAX AND LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 25L. AFTER LANDING, A THIRD DETECT FIRE FAULT AND A CORRESPONDING THIRD LEFT ENGINE FIRE OCCURRED. AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WAS COMPLETED ON RUNWAY 25L, AND PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED VIA THE SLIDES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DCA26LA184Incident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportLos Angeles, CAOn March 2, 2026, at 1100 Pacific Standard Time, United Airlines flight 2127, a Boeing 787-9, registration N24972, powered by two General Electric GEnx™-1B76A/P2 turbofan engines, experienced a No. 1 (left) engine surge during climb from Los Angeles…Mar 2, 2026 · No damage