All Boeing 777s in the world equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines have been grounded, the American aircraft manufacturer announced on Monday. The decision follows a dramatic jet engine incident over Colorado.
A United Airlines Boeing 777-220, which had taken off Saturday from Denver (Colorado) for Honolulu (Hawaii) with 231 passengers and 10 crew members, had to turn around urgently after the fire in his right reactor.
No one was injured, but a shower of debris fell on a residential area in suburban Denver.
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The American manufacturer had “recommended” the suspension of flights on Sunday evening. But he confirmed Monday morning to AFP that the 128 aircraft concerned had been immobilized on the ground.
The US Federal Aviation Regulatory Authority (FAA) for its part had requested additional inspections on planes equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines.
Immediate reactions from companies
Without waiting for a formal obligation, the company victim of the incident, United Airlines, the two main Japanese companies, JAL and ANA, as well as Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline, immediately grounded their aircraft.
Boeing has had a serious problem in recent years with another of its models, the 737 MAX. The plane was banned from flying in March 2019 after two accidents that killed 346 people.
After more than 20 months of prohibition, a modification of the flight control software and the implementation of new pilot training protocols, the aircraft was again authorized to fly at the end of last year.
afp / oang
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