Officials Reveal Their Initial Findings into Boeing 777 Engine Failures

Initial findings have been released into the potential cause of Boeing 777 engine failures. The incident in Denver over the weekend was not the first, as similar reports have been made as far back as three years ago. A fan blade broke on one of the PW4000 engines powering a United Airlines flight bound for Honolulu while over the Pacific Ocean. Then in December, two fan blades in the same kind of engine also broke on a Japan Airlines Boeing plane. Fortunately, no one was injured during any of these flights. But it wasn’t until the emergency landing made in Denver on Saturday that Boeing decided to ground all their 777 models globally. Initial findings by the FAA and the NTSB believe the cause of the failures is due to those particular engines experiencing what is called “metal fatigue.” This just means the specific blades used in these engines are breaking down from wear and tear. The full investigation into the cause could take more than a year to officially determine.