Engine Covering Falls off Boeing Plane During Takeoff
An unusual incident occurred as a Houston-bound Southwest Airlines flight departed from Denver International Airport on Sunday morning. An engine covering detached from the Boeing aircraft and struck the plane's wing flap during takeoff, according to officials.
Following the occurrence, Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 safely returned to the airport at around 8:15 a.m. local time. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the Boeing 737-800 was then towed to the gate. The flight was originally en route to Houston's William P. Hobby Airport.
Recordings from air traffic control captured the moment of the incident. An air traffic control official can be heard declaring an emergency for Southwest 3695 and requesting an immediate return due to a piece of the engine cowling hanging off.
A cowling, as explained, is a removable cover for the engine.
Passengers on the flight are being accommodated on another aircraft to continue their journey to Houston, as confirmed by a Southwest spokesperson. The new arrival time in Houston is expected to be approximately three hours later than scheduled, affecting over 130 passengers who were aboard the flight.
Southwest Airlines' maintenance team is currently conducting an inspection of the plane, while the FAA will also conduct an investigation into the incident. Records from the FAA indicate that the plane, delivered in 2015, had its engine manufactured by CFM.
Southwest Airlines reported a fleet of over 200 Boeing 737-800 planes as of June 30, 2023. The average age of its fleet is around 12 years.
Boeing has come under scrutiny in recent times following an incident where a door panel detached from a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
In response, the Federal Aviation Administration announced in February that they would be intensifying their inspections of Boeing. A subsequent report released by the agency highlighted a lack of safety-related awareness across different levels within Boeing, indicating that employees struggled to differentiate between various measuring methods and their respective purposes and outcomes.
Passengers aboard a Boeing 757-200 in February witnessed a wing malfunction, while in March, a United Airlines Boeing 777 plane experienced a tire failure shortly after departing from San Francisco International Airport. Additionally, a Boeing United Airlines flight bound for Paris from San Francisco had to be diverted to Denver last month due to an engine problem.
