It appears an uncontained engine failure led to the dramatic aborted takeoff and evacuation of a British Airways Boeing 777 at Las Vegas on Tuesday. The NTSB released its preliminary report Thursday and said parts of the left GE90-85B engine were found on the runway along the takeoff path and “initial examination of the left engine revealed multiple breaches of the engine case in the area around the high pressure compressor,” the release said. The 158 passengers and 13 crew all got out of the aircraft via emergency slides at the front and rear of the aircraft (the over-wing exits were not used because of the fire). A few passengers suffered minor abrasions in the evacuation but there were no serious injuries. The NTSB says the long job of documenting all the damage and examining the aircraft’s recorders is underway and the engine will be torn down. Meanwhile, the captain of the aircraft is taking slightly early retirement because of the incident.
Capt. Chris Henkey, 63, had only one flight left before retirement but told NBC he’s “finished flying.” He was scheduled to fly to Barbados later this month and cap his 42-year career with a vacation with his daughter. Henkey is still in Las Vegas, waiting to be interviewed by investigators. He was cheered by passengers and fellow crew members when they got back to the terminal on Tuesday. He said all crew members helped ensure the safe outcome but declined to discuss details of what happened. Henkey said it was the first life-threatening experience in his long career. “It’s safe to say I’m finished flying,” he said.
