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Plane drops debris on Denver area as United Airlines flight sees engine failure

"Given the number of people who are at Commons Park on a weekend day we are beyond grateful that no one was injured," says a local police department. The plane lands safely.

Edward Moyer headshot
Edward Moyer
2 min read
A 2011 photo of an engine on a Boeing 777-200LR.
John van Hasselt/Getty Images

Debris from a commercial airliner rained down on the Denver area Saturday after an engine failed on a United Airlines flight shortly after the plane took off from Denver International Airport. United flight 328, bound for Hawaii, returned safely to Denver after the mishap, with no injuries reported among the 231 passengers and 10 crew onboard, United said in a statement. Police in Broomfield, a Denver suburb, tweeted Saturday afternoon that no other injuries had been reported.

"Given the number of people who are at Commons Park on a weekend day we are beyond grateful that no one was injured," Broomfield Police said on Twitter, referring to a large public park along the South Platte River in Denver. In addition to the park, the department said debris landed in the Northmoor and Red Leaf neighborhoods. Dramatic photos posted by the department show the front of an engine housing, the size of a car, lying in a yard just a few feet from the front door of a house.

Other imagery shared on social media included video shot by someone on board, showing the engine on fire; dash cam video of the engine exploding and belching smoke; footage of debris falling into a dog park as children wander about; and passengers cheering after the plane has safely landed.

United said in its statement that it's in contact with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and local law enforcement about the accident. The FAA said in a statement on Twitter that the NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and that the plane was a Boeing 777-200. Boeing said its technical advisers are supporting the NTSB inquiry.