WATCH: Engine Cover Rips Off Southwest Airlines 737 During Takeoff Forcing Immediate Emergency Landing
Scary moments for passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver to Houston when the engine cover ripped off during flight , forcing the plane to return to Denver Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/BBpCBXpTsl
— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) April 7, 2024
BREAKING: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 flight to Houston returns to Denver after engine cover tears away during takeoff pic.twitter.com/Z0uEjleor1
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 7, 2024
An American Airlines flight out of Denver was forced to make an emergency return to that airport on Sunday after a piece of the plane broke apart and flew off the wing in pieces during takeoff.
Passengers captured the frightening scene from their seats on the Boeing 737-800 series jet as it was taking off from the Denver airport.
The flight was departing for William P. Hobby Airport in Houston when the engine cowling, the removable metal cover over the engine, broke apart and ultimately fell off, striking a wing flap during takeoff, according to The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday, April 7, after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap,” said a statement released by the FAA. “The Boeing 737-800 was towed to the gate. The FAA will investigate.”
Southwest Airlines released a statement saying they are “reviewing” the aircraft:
Southwest Flight 3695 returned to Denver International Airport this morning and landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue. Our Customers arrived at Houston Hobby on another aircraft, approximately three hours behind schedule. We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees. Our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft.
Southwest had another incident just a few days ago when a flight from Lubbock, Texas to Las Vegas caught fire and had to return to the terminal.
““We had gotten to the acceleration part of take-off, about to lift off, and you could hear a ‘thump’ and the plane swerved and we came to a stop,” a passenger on that flight told ABC News.
That plane was also a Boeing 737-800.
Boeing has been in the news repeatedly the last few years for problems with planes, in particular related to the 737 MAX.
