A United Airlines Boeing 777–222 similar to the one involved. |
|
| Incident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 5, 2007 |
| Type | Mechanical failure |
| Site | Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom |
| Passengers | 185 |
| Crew | 20 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Survivors | 205 (all) |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 777–222 |
| Operator | United Airlines |
| Tail number | N786UA |
| Flight origin | Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom |
| Destination | San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, USA |
United Airlines Flight 955, a Boeing 777–222, was on a scheduled flight July 5, 2007 from London Heathrow Airport to San Francisco. It had just pushed back from the gate at London Heathrow Airport and started its right engine when an electrical contactor failed, spraying molten metal on a polyethylene terphthalate covered insulation blanket and igniting it. The crew shut down the engine and the fire was successfully contained without injuries to the 205 aboard.[1][2]
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found multiple design problems with the particular Tyco Electronics contactors used in the B777 aircraft and recommended the FAA order their replacement in March 2009.[1] As of July 2009 the FAA had not issued an Airworthiness Directive to this effect. Boeing has changed the contactors used on new construction aircraft.
This incident was referenced in the song "The Vowels, Pt. 2" by the band Why? on their 2008 album Alopecia.