The Boeing Co.’s BA 777-200ER jet, which was being used by British Airways, was severely damaged due to a fire breaking out in one of its engines. The initial finding of the National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) revealed that the left engine and pylon, left fuselage structure and inboard left wing of the airplane were substantially damaged by the fire. The Boeing 777-200ER airplane was powered by twin GE90-85B engines manufactured by General Electric Company GE.
The British Airways jet was preparing to take off from Las Vegas and was bound for London Gatwick Airport. However, the takeoff had to be aborted due to an uncontained engine failure resulting in the evacuation of 170 passengers and crew from the burning Boeing jet. 20 passengers were taken to the hospital for minor treatment.
Cause of 777 Engine Failure
These engines are manufactured in such a manner that enables it to contain the failure within its core. However, the NTSB found the safety mechanism not to have worked in this instance.
The initial examination from the agency revealed multiple breaches of the engine case in the area around the high pressure compressor. In addition, they recovered a part of the engine's high pressure compressor from the runway.
Federal investigators are currently analyzing flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the aircraft. Investigation is on to figure out the reason behind the engine failure.
Safety of the airplane is an essential prerequisite for flying. We expect the ongoing investigation to throw light on repeated engine failures on Boeing jets.
Previous Incidents with Boeing’s Aircraft
The Las Vegas fire is in fact the second 777-200 jet to lose an engine during takeoff. In an earlier incident, in Aug 2004, another British Airways Boeing 777-200, run by GE90-85B engines, suffered an engine failure as it took off from George Bush Houston Airport in Texas. It was also on its way to Gatwick.
This premier commercial aircraft manufacturer has suffered setbacks before and had to find ways to resolve the glitches. In Jan 2013, all the Dreamliner 787s were grounded due to battery related problem and were allowed to fly only after the issue was resolved.
Boeing Continues to be a Top Performer
Despite glitches and engine related scares, Boeing’s aircraft continues to be the darling of the commercial carriers due to their fuel efficiency and in-flight comfort. Boeing won net orders for 171 airplanes in the Jun 2015 quarter with backlog touching 5,700 airplanes valued at $431 billion. In the last two months the company received orders for 153 airplanes.
Zacks Rank
Boeing currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Leidos Holdings, Inc. LDOS and Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC are currently better picks in the aerospace and defense space. While Leidos Holdings sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Northrop Grumman holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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