After a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 aircrft flying from Denver to Honolulu suffered catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff – sending debris raining on the Denver suburbs as the plane made an emergency landing – the airline announced that they are taking 24 aircraft with those engines from its schedule.


What You Need To Know

  • The FAA announced a stepped up investigation into Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines

  • The move comes after a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 aircrft flying from Denver to Honolulu suffered catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff, according to the FAA, sending debris raining on a Denber suburb

  • Following the FAA's announcement, United Airlines announced that they are taking 24 aircraft with those engines from its schedule

  • The plane landed safely at Denver International Airport, and no one on board the plane or on the ground were injured, according to authorities

"We are voluntarily & temporarily removing 24 Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000 series engines from our schedule," United said on Twitter Sunday night. "We will continue to work closely with regulators to determine any additional steps and expect only a small number of customers to be inconvenienced."

"Safety remains our highest priority, which is why our crews take part in extensive training to prepare and manage incidents like UA328," United added. "We remain proud of our employees' professionalism and steadfast dedication to safety every day."

The move from United came shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration announced a "stepped up" investigation into 777s equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.

"We reviewed all available safety data following yesterday’s incident, FAA administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. "Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes."

"The FAA is working closely with other civil aviation authorities to make this information available to affected operators in their jurisdictions," Dickson added, noting that the agency's safety experts are meeting with both Boeing and Pratt & Whitney as part of an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, which is "issued when an unsafe condition exists that requires immediate action by an owner/operator."

The plane landed safely at Denver International Airport, and no one on board the plane or on the ground were injured, according to authorities. Authorities have not detailed what may have caused the failure.

There are 52 777s that are part of United's fleet; the other 28 are in storage.

Video posted on Twitter showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.

The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the incident.

This is a developing story. Check back later for further updates.