Boeing 777 Engine Failure, FAA Orders Comprehensive Inspection

Illustration of United Airlines Boeing 777 (Wikimedia Commons/Kevin Koske)

JAKARTA - The US and Japanese airlines have decided to temporarily ground their Boeing 777s, particularly those using Pratt & Whitney PW4000 alert engines while conducting comprehensive inspections.

This was done following an engine failure incident experienced by the United Airlines airline of the United States, Boeing 7777 with a PW4000 engine last Saturday in Denver, United States.

United Airlines voluntarily announced the cancellation of 24 scheduled flights with the fleet on Sundays local time. This is following the aviation regulators in the United States who will conduct inspections related to this incident.

The National Transportation Safety Agency (NTSB) told Reuters that a preliminary inspection of the aircraft showed most of the damage was to the starboard engine, with only minor damage to the aircraft. It said the inlet and case were separated from the engine and two fan blades were cracked, while the rest of the fan blades indicated damage.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of Transport ordered Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL) and ANA Holdings Inc to suspend the use of the 777 with P & W4000 engines, while considering whether to take additional oversight.

The Japanese Ministry of Transport said that on December 4, 2020, the JAL flight from Naha Airport to Tokyo International Airport returned to the airport due to damage to the left engine about 100 kilometers north of Naha Airport. The plane is the same age as the 26-year-old United Airlines plane involved in Saturday's incident.

United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said United Airlines is the only airline that uses the Boeing 777 PW4000 in Uncle Sam's country. Others are used in Japan and South Korea.

"We reviewed all available safety data after yesterday's incident. Based on preliminary information, we conclude that the inspection interval should be increased for the perforated fan blades unique to this engine model, which is only used on Boeing 777 aircraft," said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in the statement.

Japan says ANA operates 19 types and JAL operates 13 of them. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the South Korean Ministry of Transportation said it was monitoring the situation but had not taken any action.

Pratt & Whitney, which is owned by Raytheon Technologies Corp., could not be reached for comment. Boeing said its technical advisers were supporting the US National Transportation Safety Agency with its investigations.