BROOMFIELD, Colo. (KDVR) — Pieces of the failed engine from the United Airlines Boeing 777 fell across a Broomfield neighborhood Saturday, falling into homes and nearly causing serious damage in some cases.
Kirby Klements says he and his wife were sitting in their living room when they heard two loud bangs.
“I didn’t know how bad the wind was blowing so I thought maybe it had picked up my neighbor’s trampoline and blew it in there. But as soon as I stood up and saw the whole piece I knew right away it was the front end of an engine,” said Klements.
Klements says the piece of debris appeared to be a cowl — the front part of the engine. It clipped the side of their home, tore down the gutter and smashed into their truck before landing on the ground.
“My first thought was the whole plane was coming down. You just don’t think that big of a chunk of an engine is going to come off,” said Klements.
Neighbors estimated the piece was at least eight feet in diameter. Klements said investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board took it away Saturday night with the help of eight or nine people loading it onto a trailer.
“I’m really thankful nobody got hurt. Ten more feet and it would have landed right on top of my wife and I,” said Klements.