Lufthansa flight to Shanghai turns back due to engine problem

A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 bound for Shanghai returned to Frankfurt shortly after taking off on late Sunday due to a problem with one of its engines, according to a spokesperson of the German carrier on Monday.

The pilots of Flight LH732, which had 370 passengers on board, decided to return to Frankfurt airport "as a precaution", after discovering one of the plane's four engines had a "type of backfiring," DPA has quoted the company's spokesperson as saying.

There was no acute emergency, the spokesperson said, adding that the failed engine could have been replaced by the other three working ones easily.

The plane dropped kerosene to prepare for the landing, and landed normally with the airport fire brigade on site, according to the spokesperson.