United Faces Class Action Suit for 777-200 Engine Failure — Again

United Airlines has a problem.

Of its approximately 900 airplanes, only 19 of them are original Boeing 777-200s, delivered 23 to 28 years ago with Pratt & Whitney PW4077 engines. In the last 10 years, these 19 planes had at least 11 engine failures or related incidents during takeoff or mid-flight. In 2021, my firm represented the passengers of UA328, when an engine fan blade broke off at high speed due to metal fatigue, causing an explosion. It turned out that the same thing happened to a sister aircraft in 2018, but United failed to conduct metal fatigue tests that would have prevented the 2021 incident. Passengers were treated to an engine fire that pilots could not put out until landing, causing panic and fear of death.

Today, my firm filed suit on behalf of the passengers of United 1158, departing from LAX on a 777-200 on June 21st, 2023. Like the 2021 incident, passengers heard an explosion shortly after takeoff. Moments later, the cabin filled with smoke, and passengers said goodbye to loved ones as the plane attempted an emergency landing. Although this plane landed without physical injury, 260 passengers walked away traumatized, suffering nightmares, flashbacks, and panic attacks. Many who complained were offered a few hundred dollars in United travel vouchers as compensation for this PTSD-inducing incident.

It turns out it was not even the first time this year that this particular airplane had engine failure: on February 4th, 2023, an engine shut down mid-flight.

Another United 777-200 had smoke in the cabin during flights twice, in 2016 and 2017.

Yet another United 777-200 had engine failures during flights twice, in 2016 and 2017.

Two more United 777-200s both had an engine shut down in-flight, in 2015 and 2017.

…and so on.

While planes can and often do land without physical injury when one engine malfunctions, this is an extremely dangerous state for these planes to be in, and it is a matter of time before a catastrophic failure occurs that ends in tragedy. But even absent a fiery crash, Americans should not be forced to wonder whether their plane’s engines can safely make it to their destination, and be subjected to a terrifying experience when they fail.

United should retire these planes immediately. But they won’t until the cost of lawsuits is greater than their profits from using these planes.

Carroll v. United, 23-CV-8236 (C.D. Cal.) – Class Action Complaint (.pdf)