Brake fault forces 787 into emergency landing

By Phil Davies 

A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing due to a problem with its brake system.

United said that the unscheduled landing occurred on a US domestic flight yesterday.

"United flight 94 from Houston to Denver returned to Houston Sunday due to a brake indicator issue," the airline said.

"Following standard operating procedures, as a precautionary measure, the flight landed in emergency status.

"The aircraft landed safely at 11.58am and our maintenance team is conducting a review of the aircraft."

A Boeing spokeswoman said the problem with the braking system forced the plane "back to base," without giving details of the malfunction or how long it might take to repair it, Sky News reported.

United said a Dreamliner on its way to Tokyo from Denver was forced to land in Seattle last week as a precaution.

The incidents came as Thomson Airways became the first UK airline to introduce the new generation aircraft into service.