A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing at New Jersey’s Newark airport after circling over the Atlantic

By Gregory Wallace and Pete Muntean, CNN

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what happened with a United Airlines flight that prompted an emergency landing early Thursday.

Sparks flew off the plane as it climbed after takeoff, according to a video posted online that purports to show the flight.

United Airlines Flight 149 departed Newark Liberty International Airport late Wednesday night, declared an emergency and returned safely to the airport early Thursday morning. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft had been headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, before returning to Newark, the FAA said.

The flight circled over the Atlantic Ocean, apparently to burn fuel, before returning to the airport about two hours after departure, flight tracking data shows.

CNN has reached out to United Airlines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for comment.

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