Crime & Safety
Jet Engine of Plane That Caught Fire at O'Hare Has History of Problems
Investigators still don't know why an American Airlines flight burst into flames before takeoff last week.
CHICAGO, IL — In trying to discover why an American Airlines flight caught fire before takeoff from O'Hare International Airport last week, investigators are taking a look at the plane's jet engine, which has a history of past problems, according to the Daily Herald.
Miami-bound American Airlines Flight 383 caught fire after it blew a tire on an O'Hare runway Friday afternoon. The 170 passengers and crew members aboard the Boeing 767-300 evacuated the cabin, and 20 people were taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Federal agencies investigating the incident have found that the Federal Aviation Administration had issued air-worthiness directives concerning the plane's engine, a GE CF6 model, the Herald reports. The directives — which are regularly occurring industry precautions — requested GE to replace heat shield parts that would help prevent uncontrolled engine fires, the report stated.
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Heat from last week's plane fire was so intense that the right side of the aircraft was severely charred, and windows on that side of the fuselage, as well as the right wing, were melted. Investigators also discovered that an engine disk failed during Friday's fire, sending one component almost 3,000 feet and another more than 1,500 feet across the airfield, according to the report.
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A GE spokesman said the company was unaware of issues with that model of engine, but the company is continuing to work with investigators, the report added.
The root cause of the fire is still unknown, the report stated. Current theories are centered around a foreign object, such as a bird or a tire tread, being sucked into the engine and starting the fire, the report added.
A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman dismissed the the possibility of sabatoge, a theory that has been floating around the internet, according to the report.
American Airlines Flight 838 catches fire after blowing a tire Friday, Oct. 28, at O'Hare International Airport. (photo via screen capture of video by Creators Studio | YouTube)
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