On Tuesday afternoon, the left-wing engine of a Boeing 777-200ER caught fire just after the plane started its take-off roll at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. The 157 passengers and 13 crew evacuated the plane with no serious injuries. The plane was owned and operated by British Airways and was scheduled to fly to London’s Gatwick airport. Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) said in a statement that it was aware of the incident and was “currently gathering more information.”
The 777-200ER was first placed into service in 1997 and the plane that caught fire (registration number G-VIIO) was delivered to British Airways in January 1999. It was equipped with GE90-85B engines manufactured by General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE). The plane’s passenger capacity is 275.
The 777-200ER was an increased weight version of the original 777-200 and originally was designated as the 777-IGW. A total of 422 of the planes were delivered, with the last four delivered in 2013.
In 2005, the list price for a 777-200ER was about $183 million, based on an order for six of the planes from Thai Airways. The 777-200ER is listed on Boeing’s current price list as available for $277.3 million, although there are no orders for the plane. The 777-200LR lists for $313.8 million and the 777-300ER carries a list price of $339.6 million. The 777F freighter lists for $318.7 million.
The incident in Las Vegas could have been worse. According to FlightGlobal, a similar incident with a British Airtours 777-200 in August 1985 resulted in 54 deaths at Manchester, England.
A 777-200ER designated as Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The flight was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew. A piece of the plane’s wing recently washed up on Reunion Island, the first direct evidence that the plane crashed.
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