Monday, February 22, 2021
Japan imposes flight ban
US regulators scrutinize the Boeing 777
New trouble for Boeing: After the 737-Max disaster, the aircraft manufacturer's 777 series is now being targeted by the authorities. The reason: At the weekend, a line plane lost large aircraft parts over Denver after an engine fire.
After the engine failure of a Boeing 777 not far from Denver in the state of Colorado, the US aviation authority FAA has announced consequences. Machines of this type, which are equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney engines, should be intensified and checked immediately, said FAA chief Steve Dickson and announced a corresponding emergency policy. "This will likely mean that some aircraft will have to be taken out of service." The inspection intervals should be increased.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of Transport ordered a flight ban for aircraft equipped with the affected engines in their own country as a precaution. This affects 13 aircraft operated by Japan Airlines (JAL) and 19 aircraft operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA), as the Ministry announced in Tokyo.
On Saturday, as a result of the engine failure, large aircraft parts fell as rubble in residential areas not far from Denver. The United Airlines (UA) Boeing 777 landed safely at Denver International Airport with 241 people on board. There were no reports of injuries – either on board or on the ground. The plane was on its way from Denver to the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu. According to the FAA, the right engine of the machine failed shortly after takeoff.
An initial check shows "that the inspection intervals should be increased for the hollow fan blades, which are unique to this engine model and are only installed on the 777," said Dickinson about the incident about Denver.
Boeing said it is recommending that the 69 operating and 59 stored 777s with Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines be suspended while the NTSB investigation is ongoing. You support the measures of the Japanese Civil Aviation Administration and the FAA to suspend the operation of the machines and work with them.
United Airlines announced that as a precautionary measure, 24 Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney engines will be removed from the flight schedule. It should be ensured that these aircraft meet the strict safety standards and can be put back into service. There are currently 52 of these aircraft in the fleet – 24 active and 28 in storage.
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