AMSTERDAM – An incident involving a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane that dropped engine parts after an explosion in the air and a fire in southern Holland on Saturday is under investigation, the Netherlands Security Council said.
Longtail Aviation’s cargo plane, flight 5504, scattered small pieces of metal over the Dutch city of Meerssen, causing damage and injuring a woman shortly after takeoff, Maastricht airport spokeswoman Hella Hendriks said.
The Bermuda-registered plane, which was traveling from Maastricht to New York, was powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, a smaller version of the engines of a United Airlines Boeing 777 involved in an accident in Denver, also on Saturday.
After that incident, Boeing recommended that airlines suspend operations on certain older versions of their 777 aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines, variants currently operated by five airlines.
US regulators announced extra inspections and Japan has suspended its use while considering additional actions.
In the Dutch incident, witnesses heard an explosion or two shortly after takeoff and the pilot was informed by air traffic control that an engine was starting, Hendriks said.
“The photos indicate that they were parts of the blade of the engine, but this is being investigated,” she said. “Several cars were damaged and pieces hit several houses. Pieces were found on roofs, gardens and streets throughout the residential neighborhood.”
Longtail Aviation said it was “too early to speculate on what may have caused the problem” and is working with Dutch, Belgian, Bermuda and UK officials to investigate the incident.
Dozens of pieces fell, Hendriks said, measuring about 5 centimeters wide and up to 25 centimeters long. The aircraft landed safely at Belgium’s Liege airport, about 19 miles south of the Dutch border.
Boeing referred questions to the Dutch authorities.
“Our investigation is still in a preliminary phase, it is too early to draw conclusions,” said a spokeswoman for the Netherlands Security Council on Monday.
European aviation regulator EASA said on Monday that it was aware of the Pratt & Whitney jet engine incidents and was requesting information on the causes to determine what actions may be necessary.