A United Airlines flight bound for Hawaii was forced into an emergency landing after debris from the aircraft plunged towards homes in Denver.

Debris from Flight 328 between the capital of Colorado and Honolulu was spotted strewn across a residential area in Broomfield, including the engine rim and what appeared to be parts of the engine casing.

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said that the Boeing 777-200 returned to Denver International Airport and landed safely after experiencing a “right-engine failure” after take-off.

In a separate statement, United said that 231 passengers were on board at the time, with 10 crew, but released no further details.

The local police department in Broomfield, which is around 25 miles (40km) from Denver, posted several photos on social media of what is believed to be debris from the plane, with the large rim of the plane’s engine appearing to narrowly miss a house in the town.

Officers are asking anyone who has been injured by falling debris to come forward, with the force issuing a “code red” to nearly 1,400 residents asking them to check their yards for parts of the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been tasked with the investigation into what happened, and has asked that all debris remains in the place it was found.