777 fan-blade / cowling failure over Denver

[BoeingBobby]

Triple 7 engine parts raining from the sky in Denver.

[xspeedy]

Triple 7 engine parts raining from the sky in Denver.

Those were just the ashes falling from Colorado’s largest flying doobie.

I would like to see the A/C. There were a lot of parts on the ground, so it appears very little containment. Wonder if there was fuselage penetration.

Edit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/plane-deb...215918585.html

[Evan]

Cheap crackerbox, eh? At least those CFRP structures don't seem to do as much damage when they fall out of the sky. I guess one thing we learn here is that the fire suppression doesn't work very well without the cowling. Funny thing that the pax cheered upon touching down with a now-upward burning fire under a fuel-laden, possibly punctured wing. I'd be halfway out the door. No mention of whether slides were deployed...

[BoeingBobby]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1363241125495136267

[Gabriel]

Those were just the ashes falling from Colorado’s largest flying doobie.

I would like to see the A/C. There were a lot of parts on the ground, so it appears very little containment. Wonder if there was fuselage penetration.

Edit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/plane-deb...215918585.html

Actually, it doesn't seem to be an uncontained damage.

Containment doesn't mean that no parts fall to the ground. Containment means that no high-energy rotating parts (that is, fan, compressor and turbine blades) are shot through the casing.

parts expulsed through the tailpipe are totally legit from the "containment" point of view. Parts being expulsed forward or cowlings falling off are less conventional, but still don't cualify as "uncontained damage".

[Gabriel]

Funny thing that the pax cheered upon touching down with a now-upward burning fire under a fuel-laden, possibly punctured wing. I'd be halfway out the door. No mention of whether slides were deployed...

Apparently there was no attempt to evacuate the plane. I saw videos shortly after the failure, the approach and landing (including the people cheering and clapping) and then the trucks dousing the right engine, right wing and right side of the plane with foam. The video was cut but I am quite sure there must be a PA telling the pax to remain seated. So if you start running for the door after that you would be committing a federal violation (which is not good but admittedly better than dead).

[xspeedy]

Actually, it doesn't seem to be an uncontained damage.

Containment doesn't mean that no parts fall to the ground. Containment means that no high-energy rotating parts (that is, fan, compressor and turbine blades) are shot through the casing.

parts expulsed through the tailpipe are totally legit from the "containment" point of view. Parts being expulsed forward or cowlings falling off are less conventional, but still don't cualify as "uncontained damage".

Yep, looking at the photo and video it appears contained. We don’t see the far side of the engine but it does appear that the impact against the shielding simply blew away the cowling and maybe some ancillary mechanisms.

[Highkeas]

Parts from UAL 328 fell in my neighborhood. One large piece fell on a pickup truck destroying it.

[Evan]

Actually, it doesn't seem to be an uncontained damage.

These cowling-shedding incidents seem to be the result of inlet damage caused by departing fan blades and the resulting aerodynamic forces on the remaining structures. I imagine this was initially a fan separation, not uncontained core failure. However, parts were ingested and it is possible that this caused internal damage that might have breached the engine core. But the fire seems to be coming from something other than fuel, perhaps hydraulic fluid from damage to the external accessories.

The issue I see in need of consideration is the ineffectiveness of fire suppression when the cowling disintegrates. Perhaps these structures need more robust requirements. What if this happened over the Pacific hours away from a diversion airport? Could that fire become dangerous? I think, probably not but it needs to be considered.

[BoeingBobby]

These cowling-shedding incidents seem to be the result of inlet damage caused by departing fan blades and the resulting aerodynamic forces on the remaining structures. I imagine this was initially a fan separation, not uncontained core failure. However, parts were ingested and it is possible that this caused internal damage that might have breached the engine core. But the fire seems to be coming from something other than fuel, perhaps hydraulic fluid from damage to the external accessories.

The issue I see in need of consideration is the ineffectiveness of fire suppression when the cowling disintegrates. Perhaps these structures need more robust requirements. What if this happened over the Pacific hours away from a diversion airport? Could that fire become dangerous? I think, probably not but it needs to be considered.

Like I said!

[BoeingBobby]

Not to be outdone by a light twin. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-747-...r-engine-fire/

[3WE]

Fortunately we will be shifting to battery powered planes in a few years.

[Evan]

Fortunately we will be shifting to self-igniting, impossible to extinguish battery powered planes in a few years.

Fixed.

[BoeingBobby]

https://images.app.goo.gl/E4hHbp6BHfTijYck6

This might, just might, satisfy Evan. We will all be traveling on plywood gliders from now on.

[3WE]

The dude with the ring in his yard needs to claim it as his property and do something cool with it...flower bed or maybe decoration around a chandelier in the dining room.