RESIDENTS in the Middlewich and Winsford area may have noticed a low-flying Boeing aircraft going overhead this afternoon, after the pilot discovered problems with an engine shortly after taking off.

The Boeing 767 aircraft took off on an ABX Air cargo flight from East Midlands to Chicago at 2.54pm today heading over Warrington.

A short time into the flight, fluctuations with one of the engines were detected.

According to flight tracking site Flight Radar 24, the plane turned back just when it reached west of Ireland and began to make its journey back to East Midlands Airport.

This time it took a route slightly south of its outward path, flying over the Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich area at a low altitude.

It then circled around the Derbyshire region at 7,000ft in holding, burning fuel so as to land safely without too much weight from a full tank of fuel being stored in the aircraft’s wings.

The plane landed safely at around 5.30pm.

A spokesman for East Midlands Airport said: "The ABX Air cargo flight to Chicago departed a little while ago and then detected some fluctuations in one of the engines.

"The aircraft turned back and, once it was safe to do so, landed.

"It had to circle for a while to use up excess fuel to make it safer to land.

"I can confirm the aircraft safely landed with both engines working normally and aircraft will now be looked at by the ground crew."