Boeing recommends suspending flights on 777s

Boeing has issued a recommendation to all airlines to suspend flights of all 128 of its 777 jetliners powered by a particular Pratt & Whitney engine model, Report informs, referring to The New York Times.

The aerospace giant issued its recommendation late Feb. 21, a day after a 777 operated by United Airlines suffered a dramatic engine failure over Colorado and hours after the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said he required ‘immediate or stepped-up inspections’ of planes equipped with the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 family of engines, which are used only on 777s.

"Boeing is actively monitoring recent events related to United Airlines Flight 328. While the NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board) investigation is ongoing, we recommended suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines until the FAA identifies the appropriate inspection protocol," the press service of the company said.

"Boeing supports the decision yesterday by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the FAA’s action today to suspend operations of 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines. We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground, and further inspections are conducted by Pratt & Whitney," the company noted.

Soon after United Flight 328 departed Denver for Hawaii on Feb. 21, the right engine failed, shedding debris across three neighborhoods before the plane returned safely to Denver, according to the authorities. None of the 229 passengers or ten crew members were injured.

The NTSB said that an initial investigation showed that two fan blades in the plane’s Pratt & Whitney PW4077 engine had fractured and that the cowling, or covering, had separated from the engine. Investigators are examining the engine and airplane as well as photographs and videos taken by passengers. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were taken to Washington for analysis.