American plane narrow escaped from crash- Sparks fly, debris fall shortly after take-off

A United Airlines flight to São Paulo, Brazil was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark-Liberty International Airport early on Thursday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration says that United Airlines Flight 149 landed safely after the crew reported an emergency.  The plane reportedly suffered a problem with its 

A video of the plane showed what appeared to be sparks coming off of it.  It also showed what appeared to be debris falling off of the plane.  An image on Twitter showed what was believed to be a small piece of metal from the plane on the ground.

The aviation website Flight Aware reported the plane developed hydraulic issues and that the pilots dumped fuel as part of their safety measures.

The Boeing 777-200 made repeated circles over the Atlantic Ocean before returning to the airport at around 1 a.m., about 90 minutes after it took off from Newark.

FOX 5 News has requested information from the airline. This story will be updated when they respond.

A mechanical problem on a United Airlines flight prompted an emergency landing early Thursday at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.

"After our aircraft experienced a mechanical issue shortly after takeoff, it remained in the air to burn fuel and then landed safely," United said in a statement. "Passengers deplaned at the gate and a new aircraft is scheduled to depart this morning."

An initial maintenance inspection suggests an issue with a hydraulic pump on the aircraft, which had 256 passengers on board for the flight, United Airlines said.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what happened with Flight 149, which departed Newark airport late Wednesday night, then declared an emergency. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft had been headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, before returning to Newark, the FAA said.

The hydraulic system on the Boeing 777 runs key systems, such as the landing gear, flaps and brakes. There are three redundant hydraulic systems on the plane, meaning two can fail and the airplane can still operate normally.

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

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