United Airlines Flight 328
United Airlines Flight 328 was a scheduled flight from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. On February 20, 2021, the Boeing 777-222 (registered N772UA) operating the route suffered an engine failure while flying over Broomfield, Colorado. The airplane then returned to Denver International Airport.[1][2]
| 260px N772UA, the aircraft involved in the incident, photographed in 2014 | |
| Incident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 20, 2021 13:08 MST[1] |
| Summary | Nominally contained engine failure with parts departing aircraft and subsequent emergency landing; under investigation |
| Place | Over Broomfield, Colorado, U.S. 39°55′44″N 105°03′18″W / 39.929°N 105.055°WCoordinates: 39°55′44″N 105°03′18″W / 39.929°N 105.055°W |
| Passengers | 231 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 241 (all) |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 777-222[a] |
| Airline/user | United Airlines |
| Registration | N772UA |
| Flew from | Denver International Airport (DIA), Denver, Colorado |
| Flying to | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HON), Honolulu, Hawaii |
The failure to the engine caused a fire in the engine damage to the aircraft's body.[3]
Aircraft
The incident aircraft, N772UA, is a Boeing 777 which flies for United Airlines. It was built in November 1994 and given to United Airlines in September 1995.[4] At first, the aircraft was a part of a test to approve its entry to fly commercially.[4]
Investigation
As of July 25, 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking into the incident. Debris was collected. The NTSB found that two blades on the engine were broken and the damage done to be the same as metal fatigue.[5][6]
United Airlines Flight 328 Media
Flight path of United Airlines Flight 328
N772UA landing at London Heathrow in 2007, while still wearing its previous "Rising Blue" or "Blue Tulip" livery.
The same incident aircraft at Heathrow, bearing the "Battleship" livery in 1996.
Inboard side of the right engine of UAL328 showing the exposed fan containment wrap (brown) and fire damage to the thrust reversers (NTSB photo)
Damage to PW4000 hollow fan blades from UA328. Note fracture surface near hub at top of photo. (NTSB photo)
Photo of UA328 fan blade's fracture surface with the origin area identified (NTSB photo)
Fracture surface of UA1175 fan blade showing discolored area and ratchet mark radiating from an interior surface of the fan blade (NTSB Photo)
UA1175 No. 11 fan blade root section fracture surface (NTSB photo)
Failed fan blade from JL904. Yellow arrow legend: "origin of fatigue fracture." Red arrow legend: "indicates the direction of fatigue fracture." (JTSB photo)
Photograph showing damage to UA328 right engine cowling, including the loss of the inlet fairing and fan doors (NTSB photo)
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Notes
- ↑ The airliner was a Boeing 777-200 model; Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its airliners, which is applied as an infix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built, hence "777-222" designates a 777-200 built for United Airlines (customer code 22).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Petchenik, Ian (21 February 2021). "United UA328 suffers engine failure departing Denver". FlightRadar24. https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/united-ua328-suffers-engine-failure-departing-denver/. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ↑ "Investigative Update: United Airlines Flight 328 Boeing 777 Engine Incident". www.ntsb.gov. National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ↑ "FAA Statement on Pratt & Whitney Engine Emergency Airworthiness Directive". Federal Aviation Administration. February 24, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Birtles, Philip (1998). Boeing 777: Jetliner for a New Century. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7603-0581-2.
- ↑ "Damage to fan blade in United Boeing 777 engine consistent with metal fatigue -NTSB" (in en). Reuters. 2021-02-23. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-777-ntsb-idUSKBN2AN03S. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- ↑ Frost, Jamie; Freed, David; Shepardson, Laurence (2021-02-23). "Boeing engine blowouts investigated as older 777s are suspended" (in en). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-777-japan-idUSKBN2AL0PD. Retrieved 2021-02-23.