Aviation analyst and pilot Kyle Bailey said the NTSB will investigate whether a mechanical failure, debris being ingested from the engine or possible improper maintenance are to blame.
A United Airlines Boeing 777 jet that suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after leaving Denver International Airport, filling Colorado neighborhoods with large fragments, prompted the U.S. aircraft maker, airlines and international regulators to request inspections and even even strand the widebody aircraft.
The moves occur after a United Flight 382 PW4000 engine bound for Honolulu exploded on Saturday, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in Denver less than half an hour after takeoff and marking the third incident in recent years involving the same jet and the same engine.
BOEING RECEIVES FAA INSPECTION ORDER ON SOME 777 ENGINES AFTER UNIT FAILURE
In December 2020, a Japan Airlines 777 headed to Tokyo’s Haneda airport returned to Okinawa’s Naha airport after pilots had a problem with one of the PW4000 engines, which is manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The Japan Transport Safety Council found two broken fan blades, one with a metal fracture due to fatigue, and said the investigation into the matter was ongoing.
In addition, a fan blade broke on a different United Boeing 777-200 jet in February 2018, which was flying over the Pacific Ocean during a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu. An NTSB investigation of the incident determined that the lack of training in the Pratt & Whitney acoustic thermal image (TAI) inspection process resulted in “an incorrect assessment of an indication that resulted in a blade with a crack being returned to service where eventually broke. “
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2021) – This image taken on February 22, 2021 shows the damage to the number 2 engine of United Airlines flight 328, a Boeing 777-200, after an engine failure incident on Saturday. (NTSB photo) (NTSB)
According to the most recent log data, PW4000 engines are used only on planes flying in the United States, Japan and South Korea.
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Approximately 69 Boeing 777 aircraft in service contain the Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engine, while another 59 remain in storage. Boeing recommended on Sunday that the planes stay on the ground until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establishes an appropriate inspection protocol. United, the only American operator of Boeing 777s with PW4000 engines, said it would land the planes immediately.
Japan’s transport ministry ordered All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines on Sunday to land planes using PW4000 engines. The ministry said the order applied to 19 Boeing 777s from All Nippon Airways and 13 from Japan Airlines with PW4000 engines.
Reuters reported that South Korea’s transport ministry also did the same on Wednesday, ordering local carriers Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Jin Air to inspect the PW4000 engine blades on a total of 29 Boeing 777s.
Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies, said in a statement on Sunday that it had sent a team to work with NTSB investigators and that it was “actively coordinating with operators and regulators to support Pratt & Whitney’s revised inspection interval. PW4000 engines that power Boeing 777 aircraft. “
The company said on Tuesday that the TAI process requires the affected fan blades to be sent to Pratt & Whitney’s FAA authorized repair station, where the inspection will be carried out.
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“Pratt & Whitney is coordinating all actions with Boeing, airline operators and regulators,” said the company. “Safe operation of the fleet is our highest priority.”
The FAA noted that the agency will review the results of the PW4000 engine inspections on a “continuous basis”, adding that it can review the frequency with which these engines are inspected going forward.
Hours before United’s flight took off in Colorado, a smaller variant of the PW4000 engine on a Longtail Aviation Boeing 747 exploded in the skies of the Netherlands, leaving small debris and injuring a woman on the ground. The cargo flight was taking off from Maastricht airport to New York.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | BOEING COMPANY | 229.34 | +17.22 | + 8.12% |
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HLDG. | 54.96 | +4.35 | + 8.60% |
| RTX | RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES | 77.67 | +3.68 | + 4.97% |
Despite all the problems with the PW4000 engines, the share price of Pratt & Whitney’s parent company Raytheon has only increased. In the last five days, it has increased by more than 6%. as well as the jet manufacturer Boeing.
Nor did the controversy negatively affect United. In the past five days, its stock has increased by more than 19%.