Watch: Boeing engine cover falls off in mid-air with 135 passengers on board
A Boeing 737 had to make an emergency landing after an engine cowling fell off and struck a wing flap during take-off on Sunday.
The plane, operated by Southwest Airlines, had left Denver International Airport with 135 passengers and six crew on board when the part sheared off.
Horrified passengers saw the cowling, which covers the engine, flapping in the wind.
The incident on the nine-year-old Boeing 737-800 was the latest safety scare to hit the aircraft manufacturer.
An investigation has been ordered by the US Federal Aviation Authority.
Writing on X, a pilot, using the handle KC-Driver, said the cowling could have detached because the latches used to hold it in place may not have been fastened properly.
“The cowls are unlikely to do any damage that threatens to bring the aeroplane down; they might peel off and hit the tail, but that’s a rather remote possibility and it’s still unlikely it would do life-threatening damage.
“Wind could get into places on the engine it’s not really designed for; over time that might do some damage, but it’s not an immediate threat.”
Southwest Airlines 737-800 makes emergency landing in Denver after its engine cowling detached on departure. pic.twitter.com/h70PPDHS42
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 7, 2024
Just last month, another Southwest 737 flight was aborted after the crew reported engine issues. Two other 737s also reported engine issues.
In January, a door plug came off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 at 1.600 feet leaving a gaping hole on the side of the plane.
It led to nearly 200 Boeing 737 Max 9s being grounded, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
There were other incidents. A week later, a crack appeared in the cockpit window of a 737 flying between Sapporo and Toyama in Japan.
And in March 2019, the 737 Max was grounded for 20 months after two similar crashes which claimed 346 lives.
In the latest incident, in which nobody was hurt, the aircraft returned to Denver.
The pilot told air traffic control that the crew had been alerted by passengers who said they had heard something hit the wing.
The series of incidents have hit the company’s reputation, with its share price plummeting by 27 per cent since the start of the year. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, declined to confirm that it was safe for Americans to fly on Boeing’s aircraft.
As America’s biggest exporter, a decline in faith in the company which is competing with Europe’s Airbus, is damaging for the US balance of payments.
Boeing referred comments to Southwest Airlines.
A Southwest spokesperson said: ‘Southwest Flight 3695 returned to Denver International Airport this morning and landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue. We’re working now to get customers on their way to Houston on another aircraft. Our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft.”
