The United States Federal Aviation Administration reported that it would investigate the detachment of the engine cover of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 during takeoff in Denver, which struck one of its spoilers.
Southwest Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday and was towed to the gate. The Boeing plane, with 135 passengers and six crew members on board, was headed to Houston's William P. Hobby Airport.
There were no injuries and Southwest said it moved passengers to another plane.
“We apologize for the inconvenience of your delay, but we place our highest priority on maximum safety for our customers and employees. “Our maintenance teams are inspecting the aircraft,” the airline said in a statement.
The plane entered service in June 2015, according to FAA records. Boeing referred questions to Southwest for information about the airline's aircraft and fleet operations.
ABS News broadcast a video posted on social media platform X of the torn engine cover flapping in the wind with a torn Southwest logo.
It is the second mishap this week for the airline. On Thursday it canceled a flight from Texas after a report of an engine fire on another of its Boeing 737-800s. The Lubbock, Texas, fire department confirmed a fire in one of the two engines.
Boeing has come under intense criticism since a door panel fell off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 at 16,000 feet on January 5.
In the wake of that incident, the FAA grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks, prohibited Boeing from increasing the production rate of the MAX, and ordered it to develop a comprehensive plan to address “systemic quality control issues” within 90 days. .
Boeing's production has fallen below the FAA's maximum of 38 MAX planes per month. The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the MAX 9 incident.
The 737-800 is a previous generation of the current best-selling 737 MAX.
[Con información de Reuters y AP]
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