Infrequent inspection of fan blades led to a United jet engine breaking up in 2021, report says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators say one of the engines on a United Airlines jet broke up over Denver in 2021 because of wear and tear on a fan blade that wasn’t adequately inspected for signs of cracking. The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that manufacturer Pratt & Whitney didn’t call for inspections frequently enough. The investigators say that allowed tiny cracks to grow undetected until the fan blade broke as the plane was climbing after takeoff. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all U.S.-registered planes with the same model of Pratt & Whitney engines shortly after the February 2021 incident.
