Media analysis of this incident frequently cited three related catastrophic engine failure incidents involving Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series turbofan engines: two previous incidents on the same 777-200 aircraft family with the PW4000-112 series engines with hollow-core fan blades that developed internal cracks, and one contemporaneous incident on an older widebody aircraft design with the original PW4000-94 series engine. At his press briefing two days after the incident, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said it remained to be seen whether the failure is consistent with a previous incident in February 2018 on United Airlines. "I think what's important is that we really truly understand the facts, circumstances, and conditions around this particular event before we can compare it to any other events," he noted. "But certainly we will want to know if there's a similarity."
