UA328 engine explosion at DEN

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:42 pm

A couple tweets about engine debris scattered across Denver area neighborhoods.

https://twitter.com/KieranCain/status/1 ... 80160?s=20

https://twitter.com/KieranCain/status/1 ... 81666?s=20

https://twitter.com/wxJeffDuda/status/1 ... 72384?s=20

Appears to be UA328, N772UA. Seems to have returned DEN safely

mkorpal333 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:45 pm

Still on runway. I heard it fly over me 15 minutes or so.

SumChristianus · Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:53 pm

What is it about UA and engine issues today? :stirthepot:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1458009

MohawkWeekend · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:02 pm

I can't tell from the picture what type is the aircraft? The other UA flight with engine failure was a 737 -900?

mkorpal333 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:03 pm

MohawkWeekend wrote:
I can't tell from the picture what type is the aircraft? The other UA flight with engine failure was a 737 -900?

777-200

Polot · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:04 pm

MohawkWeekend wrote:
I can't tell from the picture what type is the aircraft? The other UA flight with engine failure was a 737 -900?

772.

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:05 pm

Passenger video as the plane landed. Granted, kind of underwhelming

https://twitter.com/chrisvanderveen/sta ... 63493?s=20

OKCDCA · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:11 pm

Great job by the crew getting her back down safely.

Is that a leading edge slat in the first pic linked?

Edit: Never mind... just saw a pic from a different angle and it’s the leading edge of the cowling. Cant believe it landed in one piece like that.

mkorpal333 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:13 pm

This was the 5th 777 ever produced.

jayunited · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:14 pm

This is a very early extremely preliminary report.

N772UA was operating as UA328 DEN-HNL number 2 engine failed (will have to wait for a final report to know exactly what happen), Captain did declare an emergency flight landed 31,000 LBS over weight, engine cowling is completely missing, fire department met the aircraft on the runway and sprayed the engine down to prevent a fire. There was no evacuation onto the airfield, air stairs and buses were brought out to meet the aircraft all passengers have been bussed back or are in the process of being busses back to the terminal.

The plan is to get the bags off N772UA bring in a new aircraft (I don't have the aircraft tail number yet) and new crew and relaunch later this afternoon or evening to HNL.

F9Animal · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:20 pm

Good job by the crew to get her back safely. Hearing lots of reports that the boom from it scared alot of people on the ground. Some are saying that engine exploded.

mxaxai · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:34 pm

Lucky that nobody was hit. It looks like the inlet came down in one piece right next to a residential building.

TWA772LR · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:34 pm

smokeybandit wrote:
A couple tweets about engine debris scattered across Denver area neighborhoods.

https://twitter.com/KieranCain/status/1 ... 80160?s=20

https://twitter.com/KieranCain/status/1 ... 81666?s=20

https://twitter.com/wxJeffDuda/status/1 ... 72384?s=20

Appears to be UA328, N772UA. Seems to have returned DEN safely

That first photo is the nacelle. You can see the circular shape in it's reflection on the houses window.

pygmalion · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:36 pm

the inlet leading edge ring landed in someones front yard. Images on the local TV station. Looks like it came off in one piece and hit the guys truck then was left pretty much intact in the yard.

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:39 pm

Cockpit audio

https://twitter.com/DillonMThomas/statu ... 56673?s=20

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:41 pm

I hope the homeowner's HOA doesn't see that. But man that thing just popped right off like a bottle cap

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:44 pm

Best video yet

https://twitter.com/michaelagiulia/stat ... 36267?s=20

ClassicLover · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:51 pm

smokeybandit wrote:
Best video yet

https://twitter.com/michaelagiulia/stat ... 36267?s=20

Well, that's definitely something!

BWIAirport · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:52 pm

Grount-to-air pics:
https://twitter.com/tamaskls/status/136 ... 00162?s=20

Statement from the FAA:
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/sta ... 18880?s=20
Interesting irrelevant note: The statement said the aircraft landed on DEN's runway 26R - they meant 26 of course. Doesn't mean anything of course but it's a bizarre misstatement for the FAA to make.

WIederling · Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:56 pm

Seems to be engine parts parting day:
There is another similar accident in the Netherlands, Maastricht:
744 losing engine parts and people on the ground hit/injured
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cB5VQAAOYk

litz · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:03 pm

Seems like the fan disc is still there, apparently was just the shroud (and associated parts) ...

Haven't we seen this before (but on other engine types) where over-pressurization blew the shroud apart?

https://twitter.com/michaelagiulia/stat ... 5495136267

ORDfan · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:08 pm

smokeybandit wrote:
Best video yet

https://twitter.com/michaelagiulia/stat ... 36267?s=20

Thanks for sharing that.... some seriously scary stuff. I'm fully creeped out after watching that.

Thankfully everyone is okay. Hats off to the crew.

303dk · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:10 pm

Looks like N773UA is going to fly DEN-HNL tonight

kordcj · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:16 pm

303dk wrote:
Looks like N773UA is going to fly DEN-HNL tonight

That’s the bird that lost its engine enroute to HNL in 2018

rising · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:16 pm

Those must have been some hot tires. Glad the emergency systems all worked as designed.

bourbon · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:18 pm

Did the same thing the UA into HNL a year or so ago did too. Nothing there just bare engine. Glad everyone made it. N772UA

TVNWZ · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:19 pm

Interesting angle...

https://twitter.com/breakingavnews/stat ... 57448?s=21

xjetflyer2001 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:19 pm

kordcj wrote:
303dk wrote:
Looks like N773UA is going to fly DEN-HNL tonight

That’s the bird that lost its engine enroute to HNL in 2018

I thought that was N779UA in 2018

Rifitto · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:24 pm

With all these debris falling from the sky today (UA328 and 744 LGT-5504),
someone must have enough parts to assemble his own engine , a homemade PW4000

kordcj · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:24 pm

xjetflyer2001 wrote:
kordcj wrote:
303dk wrote:
Looks like N773UA is going to fly DEN-HNL tonight

That’s the bird that lost its engine enroute to HNL in 2018

I thought that was N779UA in 2018

No it was N773UA. I only remember that tail because it’s the only UA 777 I’ve been on.
https://avherald.com/h?article=4b4e8ca7&opt=0

tcfc424 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:27 pm

they landed on 26, a 2-1/4 mile runway.

xjetflyer2001 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:28 pm

kordcj wrote:
xjetflyer2001 wrote:
kordcj wrote:
That’s the bird that lost its engine enroute to HNL in 2018

I thought that was N779UA in 2018

No it was N773UA. I only remember that tail because it’s the only UA 777 I’ve been on.
https://avherald.com/h?article=4b4e8ca7&opt=0

Your right. I was thinking of this flight, also a DEN-HNL flight

http://avherald.com/h?article=4999bec5

B717fan · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:31 pm

Haven't really seen any photos of the aircraft on the ground, but would this be considered uncontained?

Alias1024 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:33 pm

The front fell off!

In all seriousness, nice job by the crew getting it back on the ground.

AECM · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:33 pm

Zooming on this photo isn't a fan blade missing?

https://twitter.com/breakingavnews/stat ... 57448?s=09

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:43 pm

So wait, a plane suffers an engine failure en route to Hawaii, and they replace it with a plane that had an engine failure en route to Hawaii?

Some awkward mojo there.

pugman211 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:46 pm

smokeybandit wrote:
Best video yet

https://twitter.com/michaelagiulia/stat ... 36267?s=20

Holy crap! Even my bum would of been twitching if I'd of looked out of the window and seen that!

Kudos to the crew, and it just shows how strong the 777 is.

smokeybandit · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:46 pm

Video of debris falling

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1 ... 87329?s=20

B717fan · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:54 pm

9News out of Denver showing a house with a hole in its roof.

Speedy752 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:57 pm

Thank god with that much debris no one on the ground was injured!

MIflyer12 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:13 pm

MohawkWeekend wrote:
I can't tell from the picture what type is the aircraft? The other UA flight with engine failure was a 737 -900?

A Google search of a U.S. carrier tail reg will usually point you to FlightRadar24 or flightaware pretty quickly.

WesternDC6B · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:17 pm

I first read of this at another site. Just a general news site. Some of the comments being made by the readers are among the stupidest I’ve ever seen in my life. Low bidder maintenance. It’s a Boeing. That sort of thing.

trnswrld · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:19 pm

Great job crew, glad no one was hurt in the aircraft or on the ground.

Makes me wonder if this had happened during takeoff roll and the crew aborted, it could have ended with the plane engulfed in flames like the AA 763 at ORD a few years back...or others as well.

N965UW · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:29 pm

Commentary on Fox News a little while ago: the engine failure happened at "13,000 miles above the ground." United 328 Heavy, cleared for translunar injection :lol:

In all seriousness, glad everyone's safe and a big round of applause to the crew. The engine staying on wing while jumping around like that is a testament to how well-built the aircraft is.

Antaras · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:36 pm

What a nice day for Pratt & Whitney

Brick · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:39 pm

B717fan wrote:
9News out of Denver showing a house with a hole in its roof.

Looks like the house at 13251 Sheridan Boulevard has a pretty good hole in its roof. Behind that house and 2 houses to the north is the house with the engine cowling in the yard. Watching the live footage on 9News, I see other houses in the vicinity with much smaller roof holes. Hope they get those covered quickly as it's forecasted to begin snowing very soon.

kraz911 · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:51 pm

Hello all,
I’m glad the flight crew brought the plane with its pax back to a safe landing as well as no one on the ground being hurt from falling debris. Blowing up the still picture from the ground, it does look a fan blade is missing. We’ll have to wait for pictures of the aircraft on the ground or word from the NTSB to confirm this. For those saying this was the fifth 777 built assuming age, it has nothing to do with today’s incident. I’m convinced the engine has been changed many times since the aircraft was manufactured...

rising · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:53 pm

Don’t they do a detailed Etops check for this route ? I know it can’t catch everything but you’d think anything major would get caught. Must have been just a freak thing. Will be interesting to see.

SuperGee · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:54 pm

They were fortunate that it happened when and where it did and not over the pacific halfway to HNL.

acavpics · Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:58 pm

Does it look like another Southwest 1380-style accident?
If so, then they are lucky as it could have resulted in injuries and even fatalities

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