On Saturday, February 20, 2021 United Airlines Flight 328 had to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport, after its right engine blew apart. Shortly after takeoff, the right engine of the Boeing 777 suffered catastrophic failure, blowing apart in flight. Currently, no injuries have been reported and all 231 passengers and 10 crew members survived, as the plane was still able to land.
A local Denver resident, Kirby Klements reported that he heard a loud bang. Mr. Klements walked outside and found a large piece of the engine had crashed into his truck. Denver Police have reported that additional debris fell in Commons Park, where soccer practice was occurring, although no injuries were reported. A passenger on the flight reported seeing sparks shortly after takeoff and then witnessed the engine blow apart.
As of last week, the FAA recommended a temporary suspension of Boeing 777 aircrafts that use the same PW4000 engine. Further, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) issued an Airworthiness directive requiring all U.S. Aircraft with Pratt & Whitney model PW4000 engines to undergo further inspection. Currently, United Airlines has grounded all 24 of its Boeing 777 aircrafts, until thermal acoustic imaging can be conducted on the fan blades of each engine. This type of thermal imaging can be used to determine if there are any cracks in the engines’ fan blades.
A similar incident occurred in Europe and Dutch investigators are looking into a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft started dropping engine parts over a nearby town. The cause of the engine’s failure is still yet unknown, however the aircraft was able to land safely.
If you or someone you know has been injured due to an aviation incident, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz, & Stogner by calling 713-396-3964 or toll-free at 800-594-4884“>1-800-594-4884.