The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday issued an emergency airworthiness directive calling for immediate or intensified inspections of aircraft similar to the one that caught fire in Denver this weekend.
The order covers Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines and “would probably mean some aircraft will be withdrawn from service,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. he said in a statement.
The order came after a United Airlines passenger jet powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines suffered a fiery engine failure in the air on Saturday forcing an emergency landing.
No injuries were reported aboard the jet launched in Honolulu, despite dramatic videos showing one of the engines on fire and swaying.
There were some, too no complaint of injuries in the suburban Broomfield, where huge pieces of engine and debris landed in courtyards, parks and vehicles.
An initial review of the incident showed that “the inspection range of empty fan blades that are unique to this engine model used only in Boeing 777 aircraft should be increased,” Dickson said.
United is the only American operator with the PW4000 engine type in its fleet.
With publishing cables