HOW MUCH DANGER WERE
PASSENGERS IN?
Safety experts were alarmed because debris
blew off the disintegrating engine, creating
shrapnel that can damage key systems like
hydraulic lines or hit the passenger cabin.
The last accident-related death on a U.S. airline
flight occurred in 2018, when a broken fan
blade triggered an engine breakup on a
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737. Part of the
engine housing struck and broke a window.
The passenger in the window seat was blown
halfway outside and died of her injuries. That
engine was made by a different company, CFM
International, a joint venture of General Electric
and France’s Safran S.A.
On Saturday, none of the 231 passengers or 10
crew members were hurt.
HAVE THERE BEEN SIMILAR INCIDENTS?
Hours before the Denver flight, a Boeing 747
cargo plane in the Netherlands suffered an
engine failure that resulted in engine parts
falling to the ground. Although the plane has
Pratt & Whitney engines, they are different
from those on some Boeing 777s, and nothing
yet shows any similarity to the problem on
the United plane, said Janet Northcote, a
spokeswoman for the European Aviation
Safety Agency.
Other mishaps appear to be closely related to
the Denver incident, however.
In December, a Japan Airlines Boeing 777 with
the same series Pratt & Whitney engines suffered
fan blade damage and lost a large panel but was
able to land safely.