.
. PLANE
. PLANE PARTS ARE SCATTERED ACROSS BROOMFIELD AFTER A
FAILED ENGINE RESULTED IN THIS
AN EXPOSE ENGINE AND A VISIBLE
FIRE WHILE STILL IN FLIGHT.
IT HAPPENED JUST MINUTES AFTER
THE UNITED AIRLINES AIRPLANE
TOOK OFF FROM DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT THIS
AFTERNOON.
GOMBER DEPARTURE GET OUT
OF AIRCRAFT ERCOT THATCOULD
DWINITA TURNED IMMEDIATELY
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT THREE
TWENTY EIGHT WAS HEADED FOR
HONOLULU.
IT TURNED BACK AROUND AND
LANDED SAFELY AT DéDé.
ALL TWO HUNDRED THIRTY ONE
PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS ARE
OK AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO
REPORTS OF ANY INJURIES ON
THE GROUND EITHER.
BUT THERE IS PROPERTY DAMAGE
AFTER DEBRIS FELL FROM THE SKY
AND LANDED IN FRONT OF HOMES
AND IN PARKS ACROSS SPRINGFIELD
.
THIS PARK ON A DAY LIKE TODAY
WHEN IT'S NOT AS COLD AS IT WAS
LAST WEEKEND, WE COULD HAVE
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HERE AND
THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL NOT
GETTING REPORTS OF ANY INJURIES
IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AT THIS
POINT.
IT'S AMAZING RUBIO POLICE SAY
THEY DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT
OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE RIGHT
NOW.
ALI LEVINE IS LIVE IN ONE
OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS TONIGHT.
AND ALI, IT'S BEEN REALLY
JARRING TO SEE ALL OF THESE
PICTURES OF THESE LARGE PLANE
PARTS AND THEY REALLY ARE JUST
SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE IN
BROOMFIELD TONIGHT.
YEAH, DETTLING THAT'S EXACTLY
RIGHT.
I GOT TO TELL YOU IT IS HARD TO
WALK AROUND THIS AREA
OF BROOMFIELD AND NOT COME
ACROSS ONE OF THESE PIECES
OF THE PLANE JUST LYING ON
THE GROUND.
I MEAN JUST TAKE A LOOK OVER
MY SHOULDER HERE.
THIS FRAGMENT FELL OUT OF THE
SKY AT AROUND 1:00 THIS
AFTERNOON.
AND TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT AS
TO WHERE WE ARE, THIS IS
THE GAZEBO IN COMMONS PARK HERE
IN BROOMFIELD.
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY AREA.
FAMILIES COME OUT HERE TO WALK
AND TO PLAY.
SMALL KIDS WERE RUNNING AROUND
JUST MOMENTS AGO.
THERE'S A DOG PARK JUST BEHIND
THE CAMERA THERE WHERE DOGS ARE
RUNNING AROUND AND LIKE I SAID,
I MEAN IT'S HARD TO NOT FIND
THIS DEBRIS IN THIS AREA.
SO RIGHT TO OUR EAST IS ONE
NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THAT DEBRIS
FELL TO OUR WEST IS ANOTHER
NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THAT DEBRIS
FELL AND YOU KNOW, STREETS ARE
CLOSED OFF.
CAUTION TAPE IS SURROUNDING
HOMES WHERE SOME OF THOSE
LARGER PIECES LANDED.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE DAMAGE
THEY DID TO THIS HOUSE AND
TRUCK.
BROOMFIELD POLICE SAY THEY
STARTED GETTING REPORTS OF A
LOUD EXPLOSION AND DEBRIS
FALLING AROUND 1:00 THIS
AFTERNOON AND THAT DEBRIS LIKE
I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT FELL
EVERYWHERE ALL OVER KLEMENTS
PARK AND THE REDLEAF AND
NORTHMOOR STREETS NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT'S WHERE KIRBY CLEMENTS
LIVES AND HE SAYS HE WAS INSIDE
READING THE NEWSPAPER WITH HIS
WIFE WHEN HE HEARD TWO LOUD
BANGS AND A BIG PIECE OF DEBRIS
FELL INTO HIS FRONT YARD ONLY
ABOUT TEN FEET FROM WHERE HE
AND HIS WIFE WERE SITTING
INSIDE.
IT'S IT COULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE
LOT WORSE THAN IT WAS.
SO YEAH, WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL
THAT NOBODY GOT GOT INJURED OR
HURT OR YOU HEARD AND IT COULD
HAVE BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE.
BROOMFIELD POLICE SAID THE SAME
THING.
THEY PRETTY MUCH CALLED IT A
MIRACLE THAT NOBODY ON
THE GROUND WAS HURT.
THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO ASSESS
ALL OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE.
BUT THIS IS A REALLY LARGE AREA
WHERE THIS DEBRIS CAME WHICH
MEANS A REALLY LARGE
INVESTIGATION.
THE NTSB IS HERE TRYING TO HELP
THEM SECURE THE SCENE AND GET
TO HANDLE ALL OF THAT.
BUT THEY CAN'T REALLY SAY
EXACTLY HOW LONG THAT
INVESTIGATION IS GOING TO
IMPACT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHO ENJOY THIS
PARK OUT HERE.
THEY DO SAY IF YOU DO COME
ACROSS A PIECE OF DEBRIS, MAYBE
IN YOUR BACKYARD, MAYBE JUST
OUT ON YOUR WALK THIS EVENING,
DON'T TOUCH IT.
DON'T MOVE IT.
CALL DISPATCH AND THEY WILL GET
SOMEBODY OUT THERE TO TAKE
CARE OF IT.
JENNY YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, ALI, IS
LEAVING THIS DEBRIS WHERE IT IS
BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GO
OUT AND LOOK AT THAT AND FIGURE
OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THAT WAS THE ADVICE FROM
POLICE TONIGHT IS LEAVE IT
ALONE.
THANK YOU, ALI REPORTING FOR
US FROM BROOMFIELD TONIGHT.
HERE'S THE FLIGHT PATH
THE UNITED AIRPLANE TOOK
ACCORDING TO FLIGHT RADAR.
TWENTY FOUR YOU CAN SEE IT TOOK
OFF JUST AFTER ONE O'CLOCK AND
CIRCLED OVER THE METRO AREA
BEFORE RETURNING BACK TO DAY
NINE .
NEWS REPORTER MARK ZELINGER IS
LIVE AT THE AIRPORT TONIGHT.
MARK, HOW ARE THOSE PASSENGERS
FEELING AFTER THIS WHILE
LANDING?
YEAH, STEVE, LIKE YOU JUST SAID
,THEY TELL ME THAT IT HAPPENED
RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF.
A LOT OF THOSE PASSENGERS
PUTTING
PUTTING IN THEIR HEADPHONES SETTLING IN FOR A NICE FLIGHT ALL THE WAY TO HAWAII FOR
VACATION WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
THEY HEARD A LOUD BOOM.
THEY LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND
IMMEDIATELY THEY KNEW THAT
SOMETHING WAS VERY, VERY WRONG.
PASSENGERS DESCRIBE SEEING FIRE
COMING FROM THE ENGINE, SMOKE
COMING FROM THE ENGINE, EVEN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ENGINE
SHOOTING BACK OVER THE WIND AND
OUT OUT OF THE PLANE AND
OBVIOUSLY FALLING DOWN OVER
BROOMFIELD LIKE WE JUST HEARD
ALI TALKING ABOUT.
I WANT TO DESTROY I WANT TO LET
YOU LISTEN TO WHAT THEY
DESCRIBED SEEING AND HEARING
AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE ON BOARD
THAT FLIGHT ALL OF A SUDDEN IT
WAS JUST THIS BIG YOU COULD
JUST FEEL IT LIKE BOOM AND YOU
COULD HEAR IT AND YOU JUST WE
STARTED SHAKING KIND
OF FREAKING OUT A LITTLE BIT
LIKE HEY, THIS THIS REALLY IS
REALLY GOING TO BE AM I REALLY
GOING TO HAVE A PLANE CRASH
SOON AS WE KIND OF MADE
THE CORNER AND WE COULD SEE
THE RUNWAY, I MADE SURE, YOU
KNOW, OUR FAMILY WE TOLD EACH
OTHER WE LOVED EACH OTHER.
IT MAKES IT ALL SUDDEN.
REMEMBER ALL THOSE THINGS THAT
YOU CAN EASILY FORGET AND AND
SO YEAH, PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE
VERY, VERY, VERY GRATEFUL AND
GRATEFUL TO THE CREW.
THEY HANDLED IT LIKE CHAMPS AND
THOSE PASSENGERS TOLD ME THAT
THE UNITED CREW TRIED TO KEEP
EVERYBODY CALM AND FOR THE MOST
PART EVERYBODY WAS RELATIVELY
CALM.
THEY SAY THAT THEY WERE HOLDING
EACH OTHER'S HANDS, LOVED ONE'S
HANDS.
ONE WOMAN EVEN TOLD ME THAT SHE
HAD A ROSARY, THAT SHE STARTED
PRAYING, JUST HOPING THAT THEY
WOULD LAND SAFELY.
LUCKILY AGAIN, NOBODY WAS
INJURED.
NOW THOSE PASSENGERS ON THAT
FLIGHT, THEY ALL DEPLANED AND
ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE UNITED
LOUNGE HERE.
A LOT OF THEM WHO WANT TO
CONTINUE ON TO HAWAII LATER
THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN BOOKED
ON ANOTHER FLIGHT.
OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER
PEOPLE WHO SAY I'M NOT GETTING
ON ANOTHER FLIGHT RIGHT NOW AND
STEPHEN JODEH REALLY CAN'T
BLAME THEM RIGHT NOW MARK.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE TO
TO HEAR HOW CALM THESE PILOTS
WERE UNDER ALL THAT PRESSURE.
YEAH, AND THE PASSENGERS REALLY
WANT TO GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU
TO THE PILOTS AND THE CREW WHO
LANDED THIS PLANE WITHOUT AN
ENGINE.
OBVIOUSLY AS WE'VE SEEN IN
THOSE VIDEOS AND ALL THOSE
PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE VERY
SCARED BUT THEY SAY THAT
THE PILOT CREW HELPED MAKE
EVERYBODY A LITTLE BIT MORE
CALM.
MARK ZELINGER REPORTING FROM
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TONIGHT.
MARK, THANK YOU.
THE FAA SAYS IT IS AWARE
OF REPORTS OF DEBRIS IN
THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPLANE'S
FLIGHT PATH AND THE FAA AND
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD WILL NOW
INVESTIGATE.
SO I WANT TO HAVE GREG FEITH,
9NEWS AVIATION EXPERT GREG
FEITH JOIN US NOW.
YOU HAVE SPENT YEARS
INVESTIGATING PLANE CRASHES AND
OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED
.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE
PICTURES AND VIDEOS TODAY WE'VE
SEEN THE DEBRIS.
WE'VE SEEN SOME THINGS FROM
PLANE PASSENGERS.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT BOTH
WHAT ARE THESE PIECES WE'RE
LOOKING AT AND AND WHAT ARE WE
LOOKING AT HAPPENING IN THESE
IMAGES?
YOU'RE LOOKING AT PARTS OF THE
FRONT END OF THE ENGINE KELLYN
THAT'S THE PART THAT YOU CAN
TYPICALLY SEE FROM
THE PASSENGER CABIN.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOT ONLY
THE FRONT END BUT OF COURSE
THE REMAINDER OF THE COLORAOD
SHIELD, THE REST OF THE ENGINE.
THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT CAME
OFF.
WHAT YOU SEE FROM THE VIDEOS,
OF COURSE IS THE HEAVY
STRUCTURE OF THE ENGINE.
THAT IS WHERE THERE WAS A
COMPRESSOR WHERE YOU ENTER FUEL
AND BURN IT TO CREATE
THE EXHAUST OR THE THRUST
COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S FUEL
STILL BEING FED INTO THAT
ENGINE.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A FIRE IN
THE EXHAUST SECTION OF THE
ENGINE.
BRUMFIEL POLICE HAVE TOLD
PEOPLE DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING,
DO NOT MOVE ANY DEBRIS, LEAVE
IT IN PLACE FOR INVESTIGATORS.
SO WITH THIS MUCH DEBRIS, WHERE
ARE INVESTIGATORS GOING TO
START?
WHAT ARE THEY DOING AND WHAT
KINDS OF THINGS TO POTENTIALLY
CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN WHEN
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE KINDS
OF PIECES, SOME OF IT HAS SOME
VERY TELLTALE EVIDENCE AS TO
HOW THOSE PIECES CAME OFF THAT
ENGINE.
ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT
WE'VE HAD OVER A NUMBER
OF YEARS WITH A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT ENGINES DECISION
IS MADE UP OF A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT FAN BLADES TURBINE
BLADES, COMPRESSOR BLADES,
BLADES FAIL WHEN THEY FAIL THEY
FEEL CATASTROPHICALLY THEY
CREATE A LOT OF SHRAPNEL AND
IT'S THAT EXPLOSION, IF YOU
WILL, OF THE SHRAPNEL THAT THEN
CAUSES ALL THE EXTERNAL DAMAGE
THESE PARTS AND PIECES ARE
GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL
LOOKING FOR WHAT MAY HAVE
CAUSED WHAT INITIATED THIS
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
THIS IS CONSIDERED AN
UNCONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE.
SO THE KEY NOW IS TRYING
DETERMINE WHAT THE MARGIN
OF THAT FAILURE IS AND ONE
OF THOSE KEY PIECES MAY BE IN
SOMEONE'S YARD.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST
STUNNING THINGS WE'VE SEEN FROM
TODAY IS THANK GOODNESS NOBODY
HAS BEEN REPORTED HURT FROM
WHAT HAPPENED AND THIS HAPPENED
OVER A PRETTY DENSE RESIDENTIAL
AREA.
WALK US THROUGH WHO'S MAKING
DECISIONS AND HOW YOU DECIDE TO
GET BACK TO SAFELY HERE AND CAN
YOU AVOID FLYING OVER A
NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE DROPPING
THE DEBRIS AT THIS POINT OR NO
?
WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
IS THAT ANY TIME YOU HAVE A
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF AN
ENGINE LIKE THIS WHERE SOME
OTHER EVENT WHERE THE CREW HAS
TO ADDRESS THEY ARE THE THE
SOLE PRIMARY AUTHORITY AS TO
CONTROLLING THAT AIRPLANE AND
MAKING A DECISION AS TO WHAT
THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO
GET THE AIRPLANE BACK TO
THE AIRPORT WHILE THEY CAN GET
ASSISTANCE FROM AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL TO CLEAR THE AIRSPACE.
GOT TO GET THE AIR.
IT IS UP TO THAT CREW TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY HAVE FULL
CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THEY WILL FLY IT IN A PATTERN
NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY HAVE THAT CONTROL ABILITY
AND OF COURSE THIS KIND
OF SITUATION THIS IS A CRITICAL
SITUATION BECAUSE THEY ARE
HEAVY, LOW AND THAT IS THEIR
FORECAST.
YOU'RE JUST STARTING TO TO
THE FULL TANKS OF FUEL AND
OF COURSE THE AIRCRAFT IS THAT
SO THEY'RE GOING TO CREATE MORE
STRUCTURAL IN DAMAGE WHEN
THE LAY OF THE LAND OVER WHERE
THE LANDING GEAR CAN ONLY TAKE
SO MUCH LAND.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DECISIONS
THAT GO INTO BUT THE CREW IS
THE FINAL AUTHORITY TO
DETERMINE HOW THAT AIRCRAFT
BACK TO THE AIRPORT.
ALL RIGHT.
LITTLE INSIGHT TONIGHT FROM
THIGNS AVIATION