Boeing advises airlines to ground some of its planes

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Boeing advises airlines to temporarily ground some of its planes after engine of a 777 jet caught fire over a US city

By Daily Mail City & Finance Reporter

Published: | Updated:

Boeing has advised airlines to temporarily ground some of its planes after the engine of a 777 jet caught fire over a US city. 

It said 777s that are fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines should stop flying as US regulators decide rules around how often they should be inspected. 

Five carriers use this type of plane, including United Airlines, Japan Airlines and Korean Air Lines. 

Grounded: Boeing said 777s that are fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines should stop flying

United Airlines has voluntarily taken the 24 affected 777 jets in its fleet out of service temporarily after a flight bound for Hawaii was forced to return to Denver, Colorado, shortly after take-off on Saturday. 

The right engine failed and parts began to break off – scattering debris over streets and gardens. Also on Saturday a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane – which uses a smaller version of the Pratt & Whitney PW4000s – dropped engine parts shortly after take-off from Maastricht in the Netherlands on Saturday. 

The Dutch Safety Board said it was investigating.

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