Following the recent catastrophic engine failure on a United Airlines Boeing 777, Boeing Company has recommended the grounding of more than 120 of its 777 jets worldwide.
The airplane manufacturer on Sunday night said that airlines using the same type of engine that scattered debris across Denver before making an emergency landing should suspend operations until inspections could be carried out.
The incident which happened on Saturday with Flight 328 was flying from Denver International Airport to Honolulu with 231 passengers and 10 crew on board when one engine failed shortly after take-off. Pictures of the debris from the plane near houses and other buildings were posted by the Police in Broomfield, Colorado. There were no reports of any injuries on the ground or among the passengers.
United Airlines said it was temporarily grounding all 24 of its Boeing 777s on active duty, and Japan’s aviation regulator swiftly followed suit, ordering Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) to cease flying 777s that use the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines while it considered whether to take additional measures. Japan said ANA operated 19 of that kind and JAL operated 13.
The planes are also used by carriers in South Korea. A spokeswoman for South Korea’s transport ministry, speaking before Boeing’s statement, said it was monitoring the situation but had not yet taken any action. Korean Air Lines said it had 12 of the planes, half of them stored, and it would consult with the manufacturer and regulators and stop flying them to Japan for now.
Boeing said in total 69 of the planes were in service and 59 were in storage, at a time when airlines have grounded planes due to a plunge in demand associated with the coronavirus pandemic.