Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut — East Hartford, Middletown, North Haven & Bloomfield

Pratt & Whitney (founded 1925 by Frederick B. Rentschler; historically the aircraft-engine division of United Aircraft Corporation and later United Technologies Corporation; today a division of RTX Corporation following the 2020 Raytheon-UTC merger) has been headquartered in East Hartford Connecticut since 1929, when it moved from its original Hartford location. The East Hartford Willgoos Turbine Laboratory and Middletown Aircraft Engine Plant — together with satellite operations in North Haven (originally an aircraft-parts plant) and Bloomfield (research and support) — comprised the historic core of P&W’s Connecticut footprint. During the asbestos era, this footprint allegedly produced the J-57, J-75, TF30, JT8D, JT9D, F100, and PW4000 turbojet and turbofan engines that powered much of the U.S. military and commercial aircraft fleet. The East Hartford campus alone employed tens of thousands of workers at peak; test-cell operations at Willgoos and Middletown ran continuously.

Premises ACM Narrative

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Pratt & Whitney’s Connecticut premises allegedly involved:

  • Asbestos-fabric hot-section lagging installed on turbine engine combustor cans and exhaust manifolds during engine assembly and test-cell instrumentation
  • Asbestos-block and asbestos-blanket insulation on jet-engine test cell walls, exhaust augmenter tubes, and test-stand components at Willgoos Turbine Laboratory and Middletown test facilities
  • Asbestos pipe covering on the Connecticut plants’ extensive steam, hot-oil, and process-utility piping and on plant powerhouse boilers
  • Asbestos-sheet gaskets and asbestos rope packing at high-temperature flanges, valve stems, and combustor test-rig connections
  • Asbestos-containing brake and clutch friction material handled during test-rig and tooling maintenance
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on structural steel in pre-1973 P&W East Hartford assembly buildings and hangars
  • Asbestos-cement panels and roofing on plant utility structures

Workers Exposed

Plaintiffs allegedly included:

  • IAM District 91 aerospace machinists and assembly workers at East Hartford, Middletown, North Haven, and Bloomfield
  • Engine test-cell operators and instrumentation technicians at Willgoos and Middletown
  • HFIAW insulators dispatched to P&W construction and turnaround crews
  • UA pipefitters on steam, hot-oil, and process-utility systems
  • IBB boilermakers on plant powerhouse and test-stand work
  • IBEW electricians on test-cell instrumentation and plant switchgear
  • Millwrights and sheet metal workers (SMART) on tooling, ductwork, and test-cell ventilation
  • Outside contractor trades on P&W capital projects

If You Worked at Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut

If you or a family member worked at Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, Middletown, North Haven, or Bloomfield before 1980 and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 237-7046

Mesothelioma Resources for Connecticut Workers

Occupational and premises asbestos exposure like this is a leading cause of mesothelioma, often diagnosed decades later. If you or a family member worked here: