A United Airlines flight experienced an engine failure just after takeoff from Denver International Airport on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday. However, it made an emergency landing back safely in Denver.
Dramatic videos and images showed large pieces of the plane fell onto several neighbourhoods and scattered on the ground. As per the airlines, the Boeing 777-200 plane, with 231 passengers and 10 crew on board, was heading to Honolulu when it sffered the engine failure soon after takeoff.
One video taken from what appeared to be inside the United plane showed an engine on fire.
In an audio recording, a United pilot could be heard making a mayday call to air traffic control.
"Mayday, aircraft just experienced engine failure, need to turn immediately," according to audio from the monitoring website liveatc.net which was reviewed by Reuters. The FAA said it and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB said it had opened an investigation.
"If you find debris PLEASE don't touch it or move it. The @NTSB wants all debris to remain in place for investigation," the Broomfield police department said on Twitter.
The 26-year-old 777 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines. Investigators will focus on what caused the accident and will look at whether a fan blade failed.
To "work with federal agencies investigating this incident"
Boeing said its technical advisers would assist the NTSB with its investigation, while United pledged to "work with federal agencies investigating this incident."
United said most of the passengers on Flight 328 took off on a new flight to Honululu late Saturday.
Engine failures are rare but are potentially dangerous whenever rotating parts pierce the outer casing - an event known as an uncontained engine failure.
Past United airlines incidents
In February 2018, an older Boeing 777 operated by United and bound for Honolulu suffered an engine failure when a cowling fell off about 30 minutes before the plane landed safely. The NTSB determined that incident was the result of a full-length fan blade fracture.
Because of the United fan blade separation incident, Pratt & Whitney, which is unit of Raytheon, reviewed inspection records for all previously inspected PW4000 fan blades, the NTSB said. The FAA in March 2019 issued a directive requiring initial and recurring inspections of the fan blades on the PW4000 engines.
