LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A United Airlines flight bound for Washington, D.C., returned to Los Angeles International Airport on Friday about 40 minutes after taking off because smoke was reported in the cockpit, a spokesman for the airline said.

The Airbus A320, which was carrying 122 passengers, landed safely at 7:05 a.m. No injuries were reported.

"Smoke was reported in the cockpit. The plane is now back on the ground," said Joe Hopkins, a United Airline spokesman. The plane had been headed for Dulles international airport.

Smoke entered the cockpit after a Pitot tube mounted on the fuselage overheated, Hopkins said. A Pitot tube indicates airspeed, he said.

The airline planned to replace the faulty part and press the aircraft back into service sometime later today, Hopkins said.

Chicago-based United Airlines is a unit of UAL Corp.

France-based Airbus is the world's No. 2 commercial airplane maker behind U.S.-based Boeing Co.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/07/26/united.landing.reut/index.html