It is a fear every time we step through the doors of an airplane– an engine failure or an exploded wing that sends us careening to the unforgiving ground. We forget the capability of a good pilot and their training for emergency situations. Passengers found themselves in a nightmarish emergency situation on February 20th on a United Airline’s flight to Hawaii.
Troy Lewis (a passenger) posted a video of the plane, United Flight 328, landing in Denver following a fatal engine explosion mid-flight. 30 minutes after take off, 200 plus passengers watched as the plane’s engine burst into flames, losing part of its engine en route. The pilot immediately turned around and landed in Denver, Colorado before any major damage could occur.
According to passenger David Delucia, the cabin started to shake horribly as if experiencing terrible turbulence. The engine was engulfed in flames almost the entirety of the flight until landing, where the engine was darkened and charred.
“We started dropping altitude right after the explosion. I grabbed my wife’s hand and said, ‘We’re done.’”
David Delucia told the media
The relief and release of tension is apparent in the loud cheering and raucous clapping from the passengers once they’re safely touched down. Thankfully, not a single passenger was reported as injured or hurt.
Watch the video below:
A United Airlines representative has since released a statement:
“Flight 328 from Denver to Honolulu experienced an engine failure shortly after departure, returned safely to Denver and was met by emergency crews as a precaution. There are no reported injuries on board, and we will share more information as it becomes available.”
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman, Robert Sumwal, reported that metal fatigue plays a role in the accident. As for what happened, it appears that two blades in the engine broke. Sumwal claims the first blade caused “overload damage” to the second blade. Debris was found scattered across a soccer field, thankfully not hurting anyone.
When asked about future emergencies, Sumwal said:
“Our mission is to understand not only what happened but why it happened so that we can keep it from happening again.”
The passengers have now been released plane tickets for a new flight to Honolulu, and Boeing 777 has been retired from work. Here’s hoping that engineers will learn from this mistake and take preventive measures in their crafting and inspections of future aircrafts!
If you’re interested in hearing more about disaster relief situations, click here to learn about the injured surfer who SOS’d his way back to safety!
