Following engine fire, Hawaii-bound United 777 rains debris on Denver suburbs
It was likely a scary day for 231 passengers and 10 crew members on board a United Airlines 777-200 to Hawaii — and for countless Coloradans on the ground.
United flight 328 was just minutes into its flight from Denver (DEN) to Honolulu (HNL) when the Number 2 engine, located on the starboard side of the aircraft, appeared to have caught fire.
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As you can see from the video above, the engine remained on fire for at least several seconds, with the cowling completely blown off. One component was quickly identified on the front yard of a local home — fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
More debris was identified in Broomfield County Commons Park, roughly 30 miles from Denver International Airport.
Colorado local Hayden Smith photographed the aircraft from the ground, before its safe return to DEN.
United Airlines quickly confirmed the incident, issuing the following 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 onboard, and we will share more information as it becomes available.
The airline followed up with another statement later this afternoon, adding:
United flight 328 experienced an engine failure and safely returned to Denver. We are in contact with the FAA, NTSB and local law enforcement. The NTSB is investigating and has directed that any persons with debris from this event contact their local law enforcement agency. All passengers and crew have deplaned and been transported back to the terminal in DEN. We are now working to get our customers on a new flight to Honolulu in the next few hours.
The aircraft in question is N772UA, a 25-year-old Boeing 777-200 configured for domestic and regional flights, with 28 lie-flat seats in business class, 102 Economy Plus seats and 234 seats in coach.
The plane has operated a handful of seemingly uneventful flights over the past week, including a roughly 3-hour hop from Chicago (ORD) to Denver earlier today.
Notably, another Hawaii-bound United 777-200 experienced similar engine trouble just over three years ago. The NTSB, which will soon investigate this incident, determined that the February 2018 issue was caused by a broken engine fan blade.
It'll likely be weeks or even months before we know exactly what caused flight 328's engine failure. While it was surely an emotional experience for some onboard, fortunately, nobody has been reported physically injured either on the plane or on the ground.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees