aviation accident | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

FAA Calls for Global Grounding of 777s Equipped with One Engine Model

February 22, 2021/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – United Airlines Flight 328 rained debris on the Denver, CO area last week when its right engine failed over Broomfield. En route to Honolulu carrying 229 passengers and 10 crew members, videos of the incident showed the engine ablaze, filling the sky with black smoke, missing most of its nacelle and its cowling. Although there were no injuries or fatalities, the Federal Aviation Administration is calling for all Boeing 777 that are equipped with one engine to be inspected.

FAA administrator Steve Dickson said, “based on the initial information, we concluded the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”

A Boeing 777-200 powered by Pratt & Whitney 4077 engines was the type of aircraft involved in Saturday’s engine failure.

Boeing said in a statement that it is “actively monitoring recent events related to United Airlines Flight 328,” while an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is underway. NTSB recommends “suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines until the FAA identifies the appropriate inspection protocol.”

Investigators mentioned that the inlet, a duct which is required to ensure smooth airflow to the engine, and a cowling, the removable metal covering that houses the engine, were separated from the engine. Two fan blades were also fractured while the remainder of the blades exhibited damage to their tips and leading edges.

According to the most recent data, airlines in three countries operate airplanes with the affected engines: the United States, Japan, and South Korea. United Airlines, the only U.S. operator with this type of engine in its fleet, said they would ground planes immediately.

“We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt & Whitney,” Boeing added. “Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Vanessa Bryant Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

March 4, 2020/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters Inc., the company that operated the helicopter, that killed her husband Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others. The lawsuit was announced the same day that thousands crowded Los Angeles’s Staple Center to honor the lives of the victims.

The complaint was filed February 24, the same day as the memorial for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. The complaint was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. alleging Ara Zobayan, the pilot, failed “to use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft” and was negligent in eight ways, including failing to properly assess the weather, flying into conditions he wasn’t cleared for and failing to control the helicopter. The 27-count complaint names Zobayan’s estate as a defendant, seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

“Defendant Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted a flight with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions,” the lawsuit states.

Zobayan was cited by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2015 for violating the visual flight rules, that required him to see where he was going, when flying into reduced visibility airspace.

Kobe Bryant died “as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which the company is vicariously liable in all aspects,” according to the complaint.

The 1991 Sikorsky S-76B crashed into a hillside in Calabasas while traveling to a youth basketball game at Kobe Bryan’t Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. All nine aboard the helicopter died.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found no engine or mechanical failure; however, the agency’s probe of the crash is ongoing.

Boeing Indefinitely Suspends All Production of 737 Max

December 17, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Boeing made an announcement on Monday shocked the aviation industry when stating all 737 jets will be grounded in January. This is a drastic step after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said its review of planes would continue into 2020.

Until now, Boeing has continued to produce 737 jets at a rate of 42 per month and purchasing parts from suppliers at a rate of 52 units per month, though deliveries are frozen until regulators approve the aircraft to fly commercially again (CNBC). The grounding of 737 jets will have an effect throughout the aerospace’s supply chain and broader economy. Further problems for airlines may continue, as hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of flights are canceled.

The 737 Max has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed all 346 on board both flights within a five-month period. Grounding the 737 Max’s has cost the plane manufacturer more than $9 billion so far. Boeing acknowledged the regulators’ review of the planes although it is lasting longer than the end-of-year approval the Chicago-based manufacturer was targeting.

On both deadly flights, a fault sensor caused MCAS to push the plane’s nose down, and pilots were unable to control the plane. Boeing has noted they are now making the nose-down less frequent and powerful by adding redundancy to tie it to two sensors and two computers.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, the chairman of the House of Transportation Committee, said, “This will be the most thoroughly scrutinized fix in the history of the aviation industry.”

“We know that the process of approving the 737 Max’s return to service, and of determining appropriate training requirements, must be extraordinarily thorough and robust, to ensure that our regulators, customers, and the flying public have confidence in the 737 Max updates,” Boeing said in a statement. “The FAA and global regulatory authorities determine the timeline for certification and return to service. We remain fully committed to supporting this process.”

In March, nearly 400 Max planes were in global fleet when regulators grounded the planes. Boeing has continued to produce more than 400 more jetliners, which are currently parked at its facilities in Washington and elsewhere. Going on the 10^th month of being grounded, planes have been paused from being delivered to customers, and Boeing said halting production all together would help deliver the stores planes when the grounding is lifted.

It’s unclear when the 737 Max production line will be cleared by regulators to fly again. U.S. airlines have taken the planes out of their schedules until at least March. American Airlines stated they don’t expect to fly the planes before April. Southwest Airlines has extended cancelations from the grounding until April 14, 2020.

Analysts highlight Safran SA and Senior Pic as other suppliers that could experience disruption impacts. Smaller suppliers with smaller cash cushions are more vulnerable to the product pause. Southwest Airlines, the largest 737 Max customer, said last week they had reached a confidential compensation agreement with Boeing for a proportion of a projected $830 million hit to operating income in 2019 from the grounding. According to Boeing, there are no layoffs or furlough expected at this time.

Victims of the deadly crashes were from more than 35 countries aboard Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The Dinizulu Law Group offers our deepest condolences to all that were affected by the crashes. The Dinizulu Law Group is located in Chicago, IL where Boeing is currently facing litigation for families affected.

The laws that govern the sky can be complex, which is why it takes a seasoned legal team to successfully represent victims of aviation accidents. It’s important to hire an attorney who has the trial experience and legal resources to tackle the detail-oriented litigation required in cases against airline companies. If you need legal advice related to the loss of a loved one from an aviation accident, our personal injury attorneys can give you answers in a free consultation. To schedule an appointment, please call our office at (312) 384-1920. For additional information, please refer to our website.