Two passengers sue Airline after Boeing 777 engine catches fire in mid-air

Each claimant is seeking damages over $500,000

Two passengers are suing United Airlines after the engine of the plane they were on caught fire in mid-air.

Joseph McGinley and Jonathan Strawn say they have suffered personally, emotionally, and financially as a result of the incident on 20 February.

They have filed separate lawsuits in Chicago, where the airline is based, and are seeking damages of more than $500,000 (£361,000) each.

The pair were on board the United flight from Denver to Honolulu when its engine blew up and sent debris raining down on the city of Broomfield, 25 miles away from where it took off in Colorado.

Passengers said they feared the Boeing 777 would crash and they would die after seeing the explosion and a flash of light.

Videos posted on Twitter at the time showed the plane flying low over Broomfield with pieces of the aircraft falling to the ground.

Announcing the lawsuits on Friday, Chicago attorney Robert A Clifford said: “Imagine as a passenger looking out the window of a plane and helplessly watching the engine on fire. The terror you experience lasts a lifetime.”