Passenger video shows flames shoot out of United Airlines engine midflight

[Wicked Blue]

NBC
March 7, 2024, 11:35 AM EST
By Tom Costello, Marlene Lenthang and Jay Blackman

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Texas to Florida this week witnessed a terrifying sight midair: bright orange flames shooting out of the plane's engine, prompting an emergency landing.

Jarring video taken by passengers aboard Monday's United flight 1118 from Houston to Fort Myers shows a streak of flames spewing from what appears to be the left engine of the plane.

The flight's crew reported an “engine issue” around 6:55 p.m. CST Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, about 20 minutes after takeoff, according to FlightAware data.

The plane — a Boeing 737-900 — safely returned to George H. Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston around 7:20 p.m.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/passenger-video-shows-flames-shoot-united-airlines-engine-midflight-rcna142217

[Sympthsical]

1. I need to do a lot of flying next month

And at this rate it's like, "Forget it, I'll walk." John Oliver's piece about Boeing was not helpful.

(I know air travel is still massively safer, but the spate of stories is giving me Summer of the Shark)

[WarGamer]

2. *Airbus.

[EX500rider]

8. You will be in a lot more danger on the drive to the airport

According to the International Air Transport Association, out of every 7.7 million flights in 2021, there was just one crash. The overall fatality risk is 0.23% — you would need to fly every day for more than 10,000 years to be in a fatal plane crash.

On the other hand, the chances of dying in a car collision are about 1 in 101, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

[Sympthsical]

12. Counterpoint

A tire flew off a Boeing earlier today at the airport I use!

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/united-plane-loses-tire-takeoff-san-francisco-international-airport/3475104/

(I know flying is very safe. I just find the flurry of stories lately amusing, and the timing of this one is great re: this thread)

[EX500rider]

13. Ah yes, the dreaded 13 wheel landing....lol (cross post from the other thread)

Will most likely be a United maintenance issue as the 777-200's have been around for almost 30 years, a design issue would have cropped up long ago.

Been a very safe plane, the only fatalities are the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which is most likely suicide by pilot and the one shot down over the Ukraine, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

[Wonder Why]

3. Gee, I've never been on an amtrk train when flames shot out from an engine!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

4. There are about 3 train derailments per day.

[Wonder Why]

5. and your point? Freight or Passenger? When a passenger train derails along

it's route, does everyone die in the "crash"?

Sure, flying is safe but ...

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. .

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. ...

That's me at my last driving test.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. lol

[madinmaryland]

11. Hmm. I don't think anyone here rides the trump train.

[Wonder Why]

15. That's not a train. That's an airplane fuselage. One of those experimental planes of the Wright Bros.

[EX500rider]

14. People rarely die in plane crashes either

In 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a report on U.S. airline accidents over an 18-year period (1983–2000) and found that 95.7% of occupants had survived. Since then, we've seen more cases of fatality-free “hull loss” accidents that undoubtedly would have been deadly years ago

[EX500rider]

7. Sounds like engine surging in the CFM56-7 series engine