Tougher checks mulled before Boeing 777 engine failure: FAA

US regulators had been weighing stricter engine inspections prior to last week's fiery engine failure on a United Airlines plane over Denver, the FAA said Tuesday. The FAA reviewed inspection records and maintenance history after a Japan Airlines fan blade incident on December 4, 2020 "to determine the cause of the fracture and was evaluating whether to adjust blade inspections," an FAA spokesman said Tuesday. The Japan flight landed without injury. On Saturday, a United Airlines Boeing 777 plane quickly returned to Denver after liftoff due to engine failure. No one was injured in the Denver incident. Both the Denver flight and the Japan Airlines plane involved seasoned Boeing 777 planes with the same kind of Pratt & Whitney engine. That kind of engine was also used in a February 2018 United flight that also suffered engine failure before being safely landed.<br/>