TRANS Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after 'mechanical issue,' airline says -- The Boeing 737-800 aircraft's engine cover detached

SageRock

Veteran Member
Fair use cited.


Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after 'mechanical issue,' airline says

ByJulia Reinstein
April 7, 2024, 3:10 PM

A Southwest Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing Sunday morning after the engine cover detached during takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which had been scheduled to fly from Denver to Houston, landed safely back at Denver International Airport just after 8:00 a.m. and was towed to the gate, according to the airport and airline.

According to the FAA, which is now investigating the incident, crew members aboard the flight said "the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap."

southwest-boeing-flight-ht-lv-240407-2_1712514600988_hpEmbed_3x4.jpg


A Boeing plane's engine cover detached during takeoff on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston on Sunday morning.(photo credit: Cooper Glass)


In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the flight "landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue." Customers were rebooked on other flights, and maintenance teams are now inspecting the plane, the airline said.

Footage taken by some passengers showed what appeared to be part of the plane hanging off and flapping in the breeze.

"It all blew away," one person can be heard saying in a video taken by passenger Lisa C., after which several people on board can be heard breaking out in cheers as the plane touches back down.

The engine cowling "peeled off within the first 10 minutes" of the flight, Lisa C. told ABC News.

"We all felt kind of a bump, a jolt, and I looked out the window because I love window seats, and there it was," she said.

southwest-boeing-flight-ht-lv-240407_1712514516126_hpMain.jpg

A Boeing plane's engine cover detached during takeoff on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston on Sunday morning.
(photo credit: Lisa C)


Another passenger, Cooper Glass, told ABC News the experience was "frightening."

"People in the exit row across from me started yelling up to the flight attendants and showed them the damage," Glass said.

Glass praised the pilot, whom he said "did a great job on landing."
 

Mark D

Now running for Emperor.
The Fan Cowls are (essentially) permanently attached at the top of the engine (on the Fan Cowl Support Beam), and held together at the bottom by a series of manual latches. The manual latches exist so the Cowls can be opened to perform standard maintenance and inspections. You need to engage each claw and loop manually, and, manually close the latch in it's locked/stowed position.
 

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
In years past, passengers wanted to know where in the plane they would be seated.
Now, people want to know what make and model aircraft they maybe flying in.
Airlines may well feel impelled to include “On a wing and a prayer for your convenience,”
beneath their company symbol…

OA
 

Hfcomms

EN66iq
Disconcerting but not a structural member of the airframe. Way to lackadasical with basic aircraft maintenance and attention to detail. Making sure that access hatches are properly secured is A&P 101 level attention to detail. Not fully screwing in and wiring shut oil fill and hydraulic fill tubes would be next and with potential much more serious ramifications.
 

Elza

Veteran Member
We hear so much about the failures of the maintenance personnel on these minor things. Locking down the engine cowling is something a kid could do.

Just what the hell are they missing/ignoring regarding the major items/systems???!!! :shkr:
 

TheSearcher

Are you sure about that?
The design on the cowl features have been pretty much standard for decades now, and are not just features on Boeing products. These recent events are not the result of design flaws, something else is going on. The haste with which Boeing is being thrown under the bus astounds me. It's almost like outside parties don't want the public to look deeper...
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Fair use cited.


Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after 'mechanical issue,' airline says

ByJulia Reinstein
April 7, 2024, 3:10 PM

A Southwest Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing Sunday morning after the engine cover detached during takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which had been scheduled to fly from Denver to Houston, landed safely back at Denver International Airport just after 8:00 a.m. and was towed to the gate, according to the airport and airline.

According to the FAA, which is now investigating the incident, crew members aboard the flight said "the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap."

southwest-boeing-flight-ht-lv-240407-2_1712514600988_hpEmbed_3x4.jpg


A Boeing plane's engine cover detached during takeoff on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston on Sunday morning.(photo credit: Cooper Glass)


In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the flight "landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue." Customers were rebooked on other flights, and maintenance teams are now inspecting the plane, the airline said.

Footage taken by some passengers showed what appeared to be part of the plane hanging off and flapping in the breeze.

"It all blew away," one person can be heard saying in a video taken by passenger Lisa C., after which several people on board can be heard breaking out in cheers as the plane touches back down.

The engine cowling "peeled off within the first 10 minutes" of the flight, Lisa C. told ABC News.

"We all felt kind of a bump, a jolt, and I looked out the window because I love window seats, and there it was," she said.

southwest-boeing-flight-ht-lv-240407_1712514516126_hpMain.jpg

A Boeing plane's engine cover detached during takeoff on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston on Sunday morning.
(photo credit: Lisa C)


Another passenger, Cooper Glass, told ABC News the experience was "frightening."

"People in the exit row across from me started yelling up to the flight attendants and showed them the damage," Glass said.

Glass praised the pilot, whom he said "did a great job on landing."
When was that Aircraft put into service by Southwest?
Does SW do it's own maintenance/repairs? If not, what entity provides those service's?

NOTE:
Neither I or my wife hold any Boeing stock.
We don't have family who works there or at a Boeing vendor or even know anyone who does.
My wife might know some one at Boeing as she worked at Gulf Stream for almost 10 years but that was 25± years ago.

I'm glad all those folks survived but when things like body parts fly off, I want to know who does the day-to-day maintenance.

This falls in line with the new standard of journalism which I think is accepted as bloody awful.
 

Shadow

Swift, Silent,...Sleepy
It’s not just what they are smoking in Denver. Not just MJ but hallucinogens are legall.
A&P mechanics in commercial transport work are randomly tested for drugs and alcohol. It does not matter that the state makes something legal.

There was a rumor that this was a new hire. Read that as young. We still do not know the whole story.

Shadow
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Plane body is Boeing, the engine is some other manufacturer per the local news.
I believe most 7 series Boeings are powered by GE or GE&Partners but this issue wasn't the engine, it was the surround. I have no idea how many times those panels are removed per year or per 100,000 flown miles or hours.

So it seems someone didn't replace the fasteners or a few failed which unless someone on here closer to the event finds something out locally, most of us will never know.
 

Sandcastle76

Senior Member
The design on the cowl features have been pretty much standard for decades now, and are not just features on Boeing products. These recent events are not the result of design flaws, something else is going on. The haste with which Boeing is being thrown under the bus astounds me. It's almost like outside parties don't want the public to look deeper...
I agree … who didn’t get a big enough kick-back ?? Just thinking n wondering out loud
 

Sooth

Veteran Member
Pilots are probably or should be spending a little more time on pre-flight inspections. Normally just a quick walk around in the commercial sector. A little more attention to detail such as all the holes for bolts and screws actually having bolts and screws in them. Better to ground the aircraft at the gate than in East Cowpasture in the state of somewhere.
Few years back, some of the airlines began outsourcing depot level maintenance south of the border. Don’t know if that is still the case.
 
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