Police Plane parts from the explosion over Broomfield, Colorado.
An explosion from an United airplane overhead rattled Broomfield, Colorado, on February 20, 2021, after airplane parts fell throughout the community.
“Getting reports that a plane flying over @broomfield had engine trouble and dropped debris in several neighborhoods around 1:08 pm. No injuries reported at this time. Plane did not land in Broomfield,” Broomfield police wrote on Twitter. “The plane landed safely at DIA (Denver International Airport.) We still haven’t received reports of any injuries.”
This video of the burning engine has more than 4 million views. It was shared by a woman who wrote, “Flight 328 @united engine caught fire. my parents are on this flight everyone’s okay though!”
Police did ask anyone who might have been injured from the falling plane parts to contact them. The plane was United 328, which left Denver for Hawaii and landed back in Denver, with 200 passengers unscathed. “If you find debris PLEASE don’t touch it or move it. The @NTSB wants all debris to remain in place for investigation. Thank you,” police wrote. The cause of the explosion is not yet clear.
You can see photos of the airplane parts throughout this article. A homeowner told 9News it was “raining metal” in Broomfield:
One large metal part was reportedly an airplane engine from the aircraft that experienced an explosion:
Here’s what you need to know:
Police Were Busy Collecting Debris From the Airplane
Broomfield police indicated that debris fell in several neighborhoods.
“Some of the debris landed in Commons Park and in the Northmoor and Red Leaf neighborhoods. Our patrol officers are working to locate all of the debris. If you have debris in your yard or near your home please call dispatch at 303.438.6405 to report asap,” they wrote.
The plane was United Airlines Flight UA 328, which diverted back to Denver’s airport. That aircraft was scheduled to fly from Denver to Honolulu.
PoliceA plane part in Broomfield.
According to Flight Aware, the plane took off from Denver and landed in Denver around 1:30 p.m. Denver time.
The Flight Aware mapping system shows that UA 328 flew in a loop back to Denver:
Flight Aware
It left Denver at 12:49 p.m. Denver time and landed back in Denver at 1:29 p.m.
CNN correspondent Pete Muntean confirmed that UA328 was the affected aircraft, “JUST IN: Denver International Airport officials tell us United Airlines Flight 328 bound for Honolulu returned to the airport after an engine problem. Neighbors heard a loud boom, took these photos of what look like Boeing 777 engine nacelle in their yards,” he wrote on Twitter.
Video Captured the Plane in the Air
A man named Tyler Thal shared a video of the airplane on Twitter.
“I saw an explosion on this low flying aircraft over @broomfield about 45 minutes ago. Debris fell from the plane and left a black cloud of smoke. The plane continued on. Any new on if this plane landed safely? @BroomfieldPD @NMFirePIO @9NEWS @KyleClark,” he wrote.
David Mullen, a reporter with the Denver Gazette, wrote that the plane had 200 people onboard, all uninjured. “A #DIA spokesperson just told me that pilots of United Airlines flight 328 from Denver to Honolulu reported shortly after take off that they were experiencing engine complications,” he wrote. “Returned to DIA @ 1:30 with over 200 passengers uninjured.”
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