Investigators Release Early Results of Probe Into Exploding Engine on United Flight

United Airlines flight UA328 returns to Denver International Airport with its starboard engine on fire after it called a Mayday alert, over Denver, Colo., on Feb. 20, 2021. Hayden Smith/@speedbird5280 via Reuters

A federal agency in charge of travel safety said Sunday preliminary findings of a probe into the engine that exploded last week revealed two fan blades were fractured.

A Pratt & Whitney PW4077 engine on a United Airlines-owned Boing 777-200 exploded shortly after the plane took off Saturday from Denver International Airport.