This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 14 December 2007 |
| Time: | 15:55 |
| Type: |  Boeing 777-222 |
| Owner/operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | N220UA |
| MSN: | 30223/340 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 26287 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PW-4090 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 264 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Shanghai-Pudong International Airport (PVG/ZSPD) |
| Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On approach for landing, about 13 miles from the airport, the flight crew was informed that the cabin was filling with smoke. The cabin crew was unable to determine the source of the smoke. The captain declared an emergency in order to get the airplane on the ground as soon as possible. The first officer performed a normal landing and turned off on the first high-speed taxiway, at which time he noticed a low oil indication on the right engine. The engine was subsequently shut down. The captain elected to initiate an emergency evacuation due to the uncertainty of the situation and the possibility of a fire on-board. During the evacuation, one passenger sustained a fracture of a vertebra. Post accident examinations revealed a low oil quantity in the right engine, with metallic deposits on one of the engine chip detectors. A detailed teardown inspection of the right engine revealed the #2 bearing had failed. The compressor gas path exhibited oil deposits consistent with oil migration into the airplane's environmental system. The cabin pressurization system utilized 8th and 15th stage engine compressor bleed air. No evidence of an engine or cabin fire was observed. The engine manufacturer had released an improved bearing design prior to the accident. At that time, the operator began replacing the bearings on an attrition basis when the original bearings were no longer serviceable. However, the operator has revised that policy and is proactively replacing the original bearings, regardless of the condition, with the improved bearings.
Probable Cause: Emergency evacuation due to dense smoke in the cabin and the possibility of an on-board fire, which resulted in a serious injury to one of the 264 passengers and crew. An additional cause was the failure of an engine bearing, allowing oil to migrate into the environmental system, and resulted in the smoke in the cabin.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20071231X02013&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Jan-2008 00:41 | JINX | Added |
| 24-Feb-2008 07:36 | harro | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:13 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 04-Dec-2017 19:03 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Sep-2022 08:31 | harro | Updated [Cn] |
| 07-Sep-2022 08:32 | harro | Updated [Date, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 07-Sep-2022 08:32 | harro | Updated [Date, Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation