Two Boeing aircraft dropped engine parts over built-up areas this weekend, in the US and the Netherlands respectively. The US aviation authority is urging companies using the affected models to park their planes until further notice.
One engine on a United Airlines 777-200 caught fire over Denver on Saturday, scattering debris across a suburb before the plane could land safely. No one was injured in the incident.
At about the same time, an engine caught fire on a 747-400 that had just taken off from Maastricht. Metal parts rained down on the small Dutch town of Meerssen. They hit cars, among other things, but a woman is also said to have been slightly injured. The plane was going to New York, but instead landed in Liège, Belgium.
In both cases, the engines were from Pratt & Whitney.
In the 747 case, the Dutch Civil Aviation Authority has launched a ”preliminary” investigation.
As for the 777, Boeing says that most of its planes with similar engines are still grounded due to the pandemic. But the company is advising airlines to keep all such planes grounded until further notice.
This is not a direct flight ban. However, different countries can make their own decisions, and for example, Japan's Ministry of Transport has announced that the affected aircraft may not be used.
Source: TT
