Another setback for the American manufacturer Boeing : United Airlines has grounded 24 of its Boeing 777s on Sunday after an engine on one of its aircraft caught fire in flight. The engine sent debris flying over a suburb north of Denver at the weekend. The disaster, which caused no casualties, involved a United Boeing 777-200 operating on the Denver-Honolulu route.
The airline's voluntary decision was taken following a decision by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA has stated that it is planning increased safety inspections for aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. 4000 series. These aircraft use a unique hollow fan system, which is believed to be the cause of the accident. After an initial investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday that two of the blades had fractured. The authorities found damage to several blades.
" We have examined all the safety data available following yesterday's incident" said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in an official statement. " Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval on the fan's hollow blades needed to be increased. They are unique to this model of engine, used only on Boeing 777 aircraft." .
Over 200 aircraft now banned from flying
Twenty-four of United Airlines' Boeing 777s equipped with these Pratt & Whitney 4000 series engines are therefore temporarily grounded. The carrier and federal regulatory authorities will ensure that the aircraft meet safety standards, United Airlines said in a press release. The airline has around fifty aircraft of this type, but 28 are no longer in service because of the Covid-19 pandemic. United is no longer operating any flights on the 777 for the time being.
The United incident is having a snowball effect on all B777s in service with Pratt & Whitney engines. More than 200 aircraft around the world are grounded as a result. for checks. This is the case in Japan and Korea, where the authorities have suspended flights on these aircraft.
