All Boeing 777s equipped with the same engines must be inspected by the plane that was hit by an engine fire on Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation authority, requires an immediate inspection of the aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney.
The measure came on the heels of an accident on Saturday in which parts of a plane crashed in several residential areas near the US city of Denver, Colorado. The United Airlines Boeing 777-200 with 231 passengers and 10 crew members landed safely at Denver International Airport. No one was injured on board or on the ground.
In addition, aircraft manufacturer Boeing has advised airlines to discontinue the Boeing 777-200s for the time being. There are a total of 128 such devices worldwide, of which 69 are in use and 59 are in storage.
A video of a passenger shows that the badly damaged engine caught fire during the flight. United Airlines has announced that it will keep the aircraft on the ground for the time being.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the 26-year-old plane’s right engine failed shortly after takeoff from Denver. A Boeing 777 was en route to Honolulu. The accident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the US NTSB Board of Inquiry.
Aviation authorities in Japan have instructed two airlines to temporarily stop a total of 32 aircraft of the same type and check engines.
