CHICAGO- A federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former United Airlines (UA) pilot Romullo Silva against the airline, following a hard landing incident at Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) that caused millions in damage to a Boeing 767.
The ruling ends a contentious legal battle over United’s alleged false statements to the FAA.
Silva, terminated after the July 2023 incident, claimed United’s report labeling him as Pilot in Command (PIC) ruined his career prospects, but the court found insufficient evidence to support his claims.
Photo: NTSBFormer United Pilot Loses Lawsuit
The incident occurred on July 29, 2023, when the United Airlines (UA) Boeing 767 carrying 193 passengers bounced three times during landing, with gravitational forces of 1.4g, 1.6g, and again 1.6g registered through the nose gear.
The repeated hard impacts caused visible rippling and crumpling to the left side of the fuselage. According to PYOK, United grounded the aircraft immediately, with repairs extending over seven months.
Silva, employed as a First Officer for just seven months, acknowledged he was flying the aircraft but argued the Captain failed to arm the speed brake, a critical error, he claimed, that contributed to the rough touchdown.
United pulled Silva from duty, and after he failed a simulator check ride, terminated his employment.
Silva’s lawsuit, filed in December 2024, alleged that United’s internal report to the FAA, falsely naming him as PIC, sabotaged his ability to secure future employment.
The court found no evidence that the FAA shared this information with other carriers or that the report itself barred him from employment.
Photo: By Emirates EK27 from Glasgow , Scotland – DSC_0880, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32270889Court Ruling
US District Judge William J. Martini dismissed the lawsuit, stating there was no proof that FAA disclosures affected Silva’s job prospects.
The judge also noted the lack of clarity on whether such FAA records even had a bearing on Silva’s eligibility for pilot roles.
Despite the aircraft’s extensive damage, United repaired and returned the 34-year-old Boeing 767 (N641UA) to service, a rare but not unprecedented move.
A similar case occurred in 2019 when Delta Air Lines (DL) repaired a Boeing 757 damaged in the Azores, returning it to service in four months.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva – https://www.flickr.com/photos/130961247@N06/52436571776/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125818748Pilot Responsibility
Silva’s argument hinged on the PIC designation, typically reserved for captains, which he claimed was used by United to unfairly place blame.
However, the court emphasized that merely submitting a report to the FAA did not equate to defamation or intentional sabotage.
United’s successful motion for summary judgment closes the chapter on a legal attempt to reverse career fallout from the July 2023 incident. Silva remains unemployed in the aviation sector following the ruling.
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