A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Denver to Houston on 7 April made an emergency landing at the airport after the cowling of one of the engines came off and hit the wing flaps.
Users posted a video of the incident on Twitter, which shows that the skin was torn off during takeoff, Reuters reports.
It is noted that the plane with 135 passengers and six crew members safely returned to Denver International Airport at 8:15 am local time, 25 minutes after takeoff. No one was injured.
JUST IN: Audio released after Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 was forced to make an emergency landing after its engine cowling detached during takeoff.
– Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 7, 2024
The pilot can be heard calling for an emergency landing.
The Boeing 737-800s engine cowling detached and “struck the wing… pic.twitter.com/gQLg41CLY9
The passengers travelled to Houston on another Southwest aircraft, eventually arriving four hours late.
Technicians are checking the aircraft, Southwest said. The company refused to say when the engine was last serviced.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation. According to the agency, the aircraft began operating in June 2015. Boeing sent questions to Southwest.
According to Reuters, the FAA is investigating several other incidents with Boeing engines on Southwest aircraft that occurred in Texas and Florida.
On 4 April, a Boeing 737 aborted takeoff and taxied back to the gate at Lubbock Airport in Texas after the crew reported engine problems.
On 25 March, a Boeing 737 returned to Austin Airport in Texas after the crew reported a possible engine problem.
On 22 March, a Boeing 737-800 returned to Fort Lauderdale Airport after the crew reported an engine problem.
The Boeing 737-800 belongs to an earlier line than the 737 MAX, which also experienced a number of infamous and high-profile problems.