A piece of engine just flew off... UA 933 (FRA-IAD) 7 Oct 2018
Oct 7, 2018, 10:48 am
#1
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A piece of engine just flew off... UA 933 (FRA-IAD) 7 Oct 2018
I'm on UA 933 (777-200) and a small piece of material flew off the right engine as we were accelerating for takeoff. The pilot came to see and reassured me it was just a piece of rubber and not dangerous. I'm sure he knows what he's talking about but am wondering if there is an engine technician among you who could confirm. The piece is (was) part of a long line running along the piece that holds the engine attached to the wing. The rest of that line is dark/a bit burnt. I have a photo but can't upload on United wifi. 😅
Last edited by Juju2014; Oct 7, 2018 at 1:28 pm
Oct 7, 2018, 11:10 am
#2
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I'm on UA 933 (777-200) and a small piece of material flew off the right engine as we were accelerating for takeoff. The pilot came to see and reassured me if was just a piece of rubber and not dangerous. I'm sure he knows what he's talking about but am wondering if there is an engine technician among you who could confirm. The piece is (was) part of a long line running along the piece that holds the engine attached to the wing. The rest of that line is dark/a bit burnt. I have a photo but can't upload on United wifi. 😅
Oct 7, 2018, 11:29 am
#3
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Oct 7, 2018, 1:21 pm
#7
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This is such a reassuring and caring community. 
What I'd like to know is whether there exists some list of non-essential bits of fuselage, engines, casings, wings, etc. whose detachment is an "oh well" type of event. How many screws are truly essential?
What I'd like to know is whether there exists some list of non-essential bits of fuselage, engines, casings, wings, etc. whose detachment is an "oh well" type of event. How many screws are truly essential?
Oct 7, 2018, 1:25 pm
#8
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Would this be in the category of some people at United have some screws loose?
Oct 7, 2018, 1:33 pm
#9
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Not only it is a plane with the new Polaris seats but it has the three rows of the new PE seats and some of the passengers sitting there had no neighbors.
I don't know about screws of the wings that are needed but for the landing gear a rig pin is essential. I was once on a 747 that was missing a rig pin and we landed with only the nose and body landing gears.
I don't know about screws of the wings that are needed but for the landing gear a rig pin is essential. I was once on a 747 that was missing a rig pin and we landed with only the nose and body landing gears.
Oct 7, 2018, 1:37 pm
#11
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Oct 7, 2018, 2:46 pm
#13
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The pilot on board has a pretty large self interest in ensuring the plane lands safely, so if he/she isn't worried about it, then I wouldn't be either.
My totally uneducated and uninformed guess is that the piece is helpful for aerodynamics, but is not critical for flight safety. So now I guess the worry is if you will run out of fuel....
My totally uneducated and uninformed guess is that the piece is helpful for aerodynamics, but is not critical for flight safety. So now I guess the worry is if you will run out of fuel....
Oct 7, 2018, 2:55 pm
#14
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It's not part the engine anyways but the nacelle pylon. Not a safety issue at all. I don't know if that's rubber or metal that blew off, but it appears to just be a cover.
If engine blades/parts start blowing out of the exhaust nozzle, definitely log back in and update this thread.
If engine blades/parts start blowing out of the exhaust nozzle, definitely log back in and update this thread.
Last edited by catocony; Oct 7, 2018 at 3:02 pm
Oct 7, 2018, 2:58 pm
#15
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Don't mean to demean the OP, if something came off the outside of the plane during flight I'd be a little nervous too, but based on the photo, the title of this thread is a little over top, a part of the engine did not fly off.
Last edited by gradsflyer; Oct 8, 2018 at 5:02 pm