Boeing 777 with engine trouble makes emergency landing in Moscow

Incident follows United Airlines jet which returned to Denver Airport minutes after take off last week

Tom Batchelor
Friday 26 February 2021 13:58 GMT
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A file photo of a Boeing 777-300, operated by Rossiya Airlines, approaching Pulkovo Airport in Saint-Petersburg in 2019
A file photo of a Boeing 777-300, operated by Rossiya Airlines, approaching Pulkovo Airport in Saint-Petersburg in 2019

A Boeing 777 operated by Russian carrier Rossiya Airlines has made an emergency landing in Moscow after suffering engine problems.

The aircraft was en route from Hong Kong to Madrid as a cargo-only flight but diverted to the Russian capital’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on Friday morning.

The incident, confirmed by the airline in a statement, comes less than a week after a United Airlines Boeing 777 had to return to Denver Airport minutes after take off following an engine failure.

The two aircraft are understood to be fitted with different engines produced by different manufacturers.

“During the cargo flight No. 4520 Hong Kong – Madrid an incorrect operation of the engine control sensor was revealed,” Rossiya Airlines said in a brief statement provided to The Independent.

“The base airport of the Rossiya Airlines – Sheremetyevo International Airport (Moscow) – was on the route.

“The crew of the plane requested to make the emergency landing. The landing took place normally.

“The aircraft will continue the flight to Madrid after 12.00 Moscow time on 26 February 2021.”

Tracking service Flightradar24 showed the 15-year-old jet, formerly operated by Emirates, landed in Moscow at 4.44am local time (1.44am GMT) after a nine-and-a-half hour flight.

File photo of Rossiya Airlines planes parked at Sheremetyevo International Airport

Russian news agency Interfax said the pilots requested an emergency landing after a problem with the left engine. No injuries were reported.

According to the AirFleets website, the aircraft was fitted with General Electric’s GE90-115B engines.

A spokesperson for the engine manufacturer told The Independent: “GE Aviation is aware of the event. Safety is our first priority, and our technical support teams are working closely with the airline to quickly resolve the issue and return the aircraft to normal operations.”

The incident involving the United Airlines jet on Saturday concerned Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.

The engine that failed on that 26-year-old Boeing 777 shed parts over a Denver suburb, causing damage but no injuries.

Police recordings of Denver Boeing 777 scare released

The US National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday that a cracked fan blade from the United Flight 328 engine, which caught fire and was captured in dramatic footage filmed from inside the plane, was consistent with metal fatigue.

PW4000 engines are used on 128 planes, or less than 10 per cent of the global fleet of more than 1,600 delivered 777 widebody jets.

The Independent contacted Boeing for comment.

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