FAA to Investigate After Southwest Boeing Plane Loses Engine Cover, Strikes Wing

09.04.2024 - 15:37 / travelpulse.com / Southwest Airlines / Lacey Pfalz

Yet another Boeing aircraft has encountered mechanical issues while flying passengers, this time on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston in the morning of April 7. 

Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 was operated by a Boeing 737-800 plane that, according to CNN, had been declared airworthy in 2015. It took off at 7:49 a.m., and had reached a flying altitude of 10,000 feet before several passengers heard something hit the wing of the plane.

According to the FAA incident report, an engine cowling had fallen off and struck the wing flap, prompting the pilots to turn the plane around. No injuries were reported. It landed at 8:15 a.m. back in Denver, where the passengers were delayed around three hours and put on another flight to Houston. 

Boeing had declined to comment to CNN, but Southwest sent out a statement: “We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay but place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees.” 

Boeing has seen a string of mechanical issues affecting the safety of its commercial aircraft this year. The first was Alaska Flight 1282, in which a door panel popped off in mid-flight, leading to intense scrutiny. 

Yet the issues haven’t stopped there. In March alone, a United Airlines flight had an engine burst into flames mid-flight, while days later, another United flight saw a landing gear wheel fall off during takeoff. United Flight 433 lost an exterior panel on March 15, while on March 28, a United flight heading from San Francisco to Paris was diverted due to engine issues. 

It's leading some travelers to begin avoiding flights that use Boeing aircraft altogether. 

It also might have led to tragedy: 62-year-old John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who retired in 2017 and later spoke out in concern over Boeing’s safety, was found dead by what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in mid-March. 

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the initial Alaska Airlines flight, but their list of investigations into Boeing’s aircraft continues to grow.

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