United Airlines flight safely lands after dramatic engine failure caught on camera

[Karlston]

United Airlines flight safely lands after dramatic engine failure caught on camera

Photos and videos offer another reminder of how resilient and safe planes are

 

Image: Hayden Smith / speedbird5280 (Instagram)

 

A United Airlines flight experienced a dramatic-looking engine failure just after takeoff from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon. UA328, originally headed to Honolulu, quickly circled back to the airport and made a safe landing after the pilots calmly made a “mayday” call to air traffic control. There were no injuries among the 231 passengers and 10 airline staff on board, according to the FAA.

 

Since it’s 2021, the incident was thoroughly captured with both photos and video. Passengers shared video of what looks to be a significant right engine failure, with visible damage, flames, and trailing smoke:

Flight 328 @united engine caught fire. my parents are on this flight everyone’s okay though! pic.twitter.com/cBt82nIkqb

— michaela (@michaelagiulia) February 20, 2021

That isn’t what I’d want to see looking out the window seat. Engine failures are rare, but do happen. Modern planes are designed so that they’re able to remain in the air for an extended period and safely land with only a single functioning engine.

 

Photographer Hayden Smith snapped a series of images of the Boeing 777-200 plane that offer a closer look at the damaged engine from the ground and posted them to Dropbox not long after the plane safely landed.

Image: Hayden Smith / speedbird5280 (Instagram)

But even before that, a dash cam managed to get the moment that the engine seemingly blew out.

 

Reports followed of engine debris landing in neighborhoods near the plane’s flight path, which was also caught on video.

 

Local authorities are investigating and say that so far there’ve been no injuries related to the shed debris. The plane’s engine cowling is visible in some of the images shared across social media. Nearby residents are being asked to check their property for any pieces of the engine.

 

 

As is usual in these circumstances, the FAA and NTSB will investigate what went wrong with UA328’s engine. But the incident is another reminder of just how resilient airplanes are designed to be — and how anytime there’s an incident of this magnitude in modern times, it’s going to be captured extensively from nearly every angle within minutes.

 

 

I know it’s often mocked when people cheer their airplane touching down safely after a completely normal flight, but in this case, I think I can relate.

 

 

United Airlines flight safely lands after dramatic engine failure caught on camera

[aum]

United Airlines pilot called ‘mayday’ as engine exploded above Denver

 

 Updated

 

Enlarge Image

United Airlines flight UA328, carrying 231 passengers and 10 crew on board, returns to Denver International Airport with its starboard engine on fire.REUTERS

 

The pilot of United Airlines Flight 328 repeatedly called “mayday” as one of his engines exploded, raining down debris on a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

 

“We’ve experienced engine failure, need to turn. Mayday, mayday. United, uh, 28,” the pilot radioed soon after takeoff Saturday from Denver International Airport, according to the air traffic control call obtained by the Denver Post.

 

“United 328, heavy mayday, mayday, aircraft, uh…” the pilot repeated before air traffic control came on and asked him to repeat his urgent call for help.

 

“United 328, heavy mayday, aircraft just experienced engine failure, need a turn immediately,” the pilot warned, soon getting permission to make a left turn ready for the emergency landing.

 

The call came as his engine was fully engulfed in flames above Colorado, as caught on shocking video that quickly went viral online.

 

 

Other footage showed debris falling from the sky that was filled with black smoke — with huge chunks of the engine falling on the Denver suburb Bloomfield.

 

“Given the number of people who are at Commons Park on a weekend day we are beyond grateful that no one was injured,” the town’s police said, a sentiment shared by others online.

 

“It’s mind-boggling to hear nobody was injured or killed when an airplane broke apart in the sky over a packed neighborhood,” one follower replied.

 

Debris about 15 feet in diameter crushed the bed of Kirby Klements’ truck outside his house, with other chunks landing in his garden.

 

“If it had been 10 feet different, it would have landed right on top of the house,” he told The Associated Press. “And if anyone had been in the truck, they would have been dead.”

 

Despite the drama, the Hawaii-bound plane landed safely at Denver International Airport, and no one on board or on the ground was hurt, authorities said — much to the amazement of many onboard.

 

“When it initially happened, I thought we were done. I thought we were going down,” said Delucia, who stuffed his wallet in his pocket so he could be easily identified if the plane did go down.

 

“The pilot did an amazing job,” Delucia said.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the airplane experienced a right-engine failure shortly after takeoff.

 

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Authorities have not released any details about what may have caused the failure.

 

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