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

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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 was terminated after a July 2023 hard landing incident damaged a Boeing 767.
Silva claimed United falsely reported him as the pilot in command and that another pilot's failure to arm speed brakes contributed to the incident, while the NTSB identified Silva's "improper control inputs" and the crew's lack of recognition of unarmed speedbrakes as causes.
The judge found Silva's complaint lacked sufficient detail about the alleged defamatory report and that communications to government agencies like the FAA are subject to qualified privilege, which Silva failed to overcome by demonstrating malice.

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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).