United Airlines 747 Returns to SF After Engine Failure

United Airlines planes are parked at their gates as another plane, top, taxis past them at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, in this file photo. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

SAN FRANCISCO—A United Airlines Boeing 747 has returned to San Francisco after one of its four engines failed shortly after takeoff.

KGO-TV in San Francisco said Monday that officials were responding to a report of an engine fire. A United spokeswoman said she could not confirm whether there was a fire.

United says the plane with 202 passengers and a crew of 15 has landed safely.

The flight was scheduled to go to Narita Airport in Tokyo. Instead the plane flew in several loops over the ocean before returning to San Francisco International Airport.