A startling video has emerged online, depicting the engine of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 breaking apart during takeoff. This incident adds to a string of mishaps for Boeing, heightening concerns about aircraft safety. The flight promptly returned to Denver after crew members noticed a loose metal sheet covering one of the aircraft’s engines had sheared off during takeoff.
Undoubtedly, this was a harrowing experience for the passengers onboard. In the wake of a ground collision between a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 and a British Airways Airbus A350 at London’s Heathrow Airport on April 7, a chilling video surfaced on X, showing the engine on the Boeing 737-800 coming apart mid-flight.
Shared by ABC’s chief transportation reporter Sam Sweeney, the video captures the metal engine cover tearing off and flapping like sheets of paper as the aircraft prepares to take off. The cover collided with the wing flap of the aircraft, resulting in a “terrifying moment” for passengers aboard, as reported by ABC News.
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
“People in the exit row across from me started yelling at the flight attendants and showing them the damage. We turned around and made a full-speed landing. The pilots did a great job on the landing.” ABC News quoted a passenger.
The flight departed from Denver International Airport at 7:49 AM local time, heading to Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport. Approximately 25 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft returned to Denver International Airport. The FAA is currently conducting an investigation into the incident.
Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement clarifying that an “engine cowling had detached from the aircraft and struck one of the plane’s wing flaps.” Post reached out to a Southwest spokesperson who attributed the mishap to a ‘mechanical issue’ with the aircraft, manufactured in 2017 according to FAA records.
This is not the first mid-flight mishap experienced by the company, and the frequency of such incidents is raising concerns. Boeing and the airline industry have been under scrutiny since January of this year when an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing at Portland, Oregon, after a door panel detached in mid-air.
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