United Flight 328 flying from Denver International Airport to Honolulu on February 21 experienced a right-engine failure. The Boeing 777-200 at 1:30 pm was able to return safely to the Denver International Airport.
The police department in Broomfield at around 1:08 pm received reports of falling debris in the area. The Federal Aviation Administration later confirmed this report. The agency released a statement saying that “The FAA is aware of reports of debris in the vicinity of the airplane’s path”. Metal parts were found in Commons Park and the Northmoor and Red Leaf neighborhoods.
The United Airlines 328 was carrying 241 people including 231 passengers and 10 crew members. There were no reports of injuries.
A Boom 20 Minutes After Taking Off
Pilots issued a mayday call and told air traffic controllers that “we’ve experienced engine failure”. Passenger Travis Loock heard a loud boom 20 minutes after taking off. He described it as the “kind of sound you don’t want to hear when you’re on the plane”. Loock added that “the engine on my side was missing”.
Despite the incident, passengers noted that the crew remained calm and there was no sense of panic. Danielle Thomas, a Honolulu resident, praised the flight crew for their actions and mentioned that “I think the pilots had a huge hand in making everybody feel safe and comfortable”.
United Flight 328 Debris
While the passengers were worried whether they could land safely on the ground, a large circular covering of the plane’s engine dropped near a home. Homeowner Kirby Klements said that he thought that it was the neighbor’s trampoline that somehow ended up in his yard. To his surprise, it was a large chunk from the United Airlines plane.
On the other hand, a soccer coach in Common Park also noticed debris raining down when the soccer team ran to safety. There were no reported injuries both from the plane and on the ground.
