A United Airlines B777 had an uncontained engine failure shortly after departing Denver Intl. Airport on Sunday, February 20, 2021. The flight, Flight 328 headed for Honolulu, returned to Denver and landed safely but not before raining engine debris and parts from the sky over the Denver suburbs. No injuries have been reported as yet.
The FAA released a statement saying a United flight returned to the airport after “experiencing a right-engine failure shortly after takeoff. The FAA is aware of reports of debris in the vicinity of the airplane’s flight path.”
Witnesses in the departure path reported hearing a loud bang followed by smoke and debris falling from the sky into fields and neighborhoods. Initially witnesses said the pieces falling looked small and light, as though they were “floating” only to discovered once they had landed that they were large, heavy pieces of metal. The NTSB will investigate.