United Pilot’s Lawsuit After Hard-Landing Incident Thrown Out by Federal Judge

2023 incident resulted in a buckling of the Boeing 767’s fuselage.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 02, 2025 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A United Boeing 767-300. [Shutterstock | Michael Derrer Fuchs]

Key Takeaways:

A federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former United Airlines pilot Romullo Tadeu Melo Silva, who claimed the airline falsely reported him as the Pilot in Command to the FAA after a hard landing incident.
Silva was terminated after failing a flight evaluation following a July 2023 hard landing in Houston, which he piloted and resulted in significant damage to a Boeing 767.
The lawsuit alleged that United's report to the FAA tarnished Silva's record, making him unable to secure new employment, and that the actual Captain failed to arm the speed brake.
The judge dismissed the case, citing insufficient information about the alleged defamatory report, the qualified privilege protecting communications to government agencies, and Silva's failure to adequately prove malice.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former United Arilines pilot Romullo Tadeu Melo Silva, who claimed the airline defamed him following a hard-landing incident that damaged a Boeing 767-300 aircraft in Houston.

On July 29, 2023, United Flight 702, operating from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston, experienced what the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later classified as a “hard landing” at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH).