Aviation analyst and pilot Kyle Bailey says the NTSB will investigate whether mechanical failure, debris ingested in the engine or possible improper maintenance.
A United Airlines Boeing 777 plane that suffered a catastrophic engine outage shortly after leaving Denver International Airport and littered Colorado neighborhoods with large pieces of debris led U.S. planner, airlines and international regulators to conduct inspections and even order grounding of the wide-body aircraft.
The movements come after a PW4000 engine on United Flight 382, which was on its way to Honolulu, exploded on Saturday, forcing the crew to make less than half an hour after takeoff and make an emergency landing in Denver and the third incident in recent years. same jet and same engine.
BOEING RECEIVES FAA INSPECTION ORDER ON SINGLE 777 MOTORS AFTER UNITED FAILURE
In December 2020, a Japan Airlines 777 returned to Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Naha Airport in Okinawa after pilots encountered a problem with one of the PW4000 engines, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The Japanese Transportation Safety Board found two broken fan blades, one with a metal fracture fracture, and said the investigation into the matter was continuing.
In addition, a fan blade broke in February 2018 on another United Boeing 777-200 jet that flew over the Pacific Ocean during a San Francisco flight to Honolulu. An NTSB investigation into the incident found that a lack of training in the inspection process of Pratt & Whitney’s thermal acoustic image (TAI) led to an “incorrect evaluation of an indication that led to a blade with a crack was re-employed where it eventually broke. “
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2021) – This image taken on February 22, 2021 shows the damage to the No. 2 engine of United Airlines Flight 328, a Boeing 777-200, following a car accident Saturday. (NTSB photo) (NTSB)
According to the latest registry data, the PW4000 engines are only used on aircraft flying in the United States, Japan and South Korea.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO by clicking here
About 69 Boeing 777 aircraft in service contain the Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engine, while another 59 are in storage. Boeing on Sunday recommended that the aircraft be grounded until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) draws up an appropriate inspection protocol. United, the only US operator of Boeing 777s with the PW4000 engines, said it would land the planes immediately.
The Japanese Ministry of Transport on Sunday ordered All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines to ground aircraft with PW4000 engines. The ministry said the order applies to 19 Boeing 777s at All Nippon Airways and 13 at Japan Airlines with the PW4000 engines.
Reuters reported that the South Korean Ministry of Transportation also followed suit on Wednesday and ordered local carriers Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Jin Air to have fan blades of the PW4000 engines inspected in a total of 29 Boeing 777s.
Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies, said in a statement on Sunday that they had sent a team to work with NTSB investigators, and that they were “actively coordinating with operators and regulators to review the review interval” of the Pratt & Whitney. PW4000 engines that power Boeing 777 aircraft. ‘
The company said Tuesday that the TAI process requires that affected fan blades be sent to Pratt & Whitney’s FAA-approved repair station, where the inspection will take place.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS
“Pratt & Whitney coordinates all actions with Boeing, airline operators and regulators,” the company said. “The safe operation of the navy is our top priority.”
The FAA noted that the agency would review the results of the PW4000 engine inspections on an “ongoing basis”. It may add that it may review how often these engines are inspected going forward.
Hours before the United flight took off in Colorado, a smaller variant of the PW4000 engine on a Longtail Aviation Boeing 747 exploded over the clouds of the Netherlands, dropping small debris and injuring a woman on the ground. The cargo flight took off from Maastricht Airport and was on its way to New York.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Alter | Alter% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | BOEING COMPANY | 229.34 | +17.22 | + 8.12% |
| UAL | UNITED LIGHT LINES HLDG. | 54.96 | +4.35 | + 8.60% |
| RTX | RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES | 77.67 | +3.68 | + 4.97% |
For all the problems of the PW4000 engines, the share price of Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, Raytheon, has only risen. In the last five days it has been more than 6% higher. just like the aircraft maker Boeing.
The controversy did not negatively affect United either. Over the past five days, its stock has risen by more than 19%.