A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 that departed Denver International Airport on Sunday morning was forced to make an emergency stop after an engine part came off during takeoff, according to reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The plane, bound for Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, experienced the incident when the engine cover came off and hit the wing during takeoff, causing a critical situation on board.
The crew of Flight 3695 quickly reported the incident, prompting the Southwest Airlines plane to return to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The FAA confirmed that the plane landed safely with all passengers on board and announced a thorough investigation to determine the causes of the incident and take appropriate preventative measures.
🚨#BREAKING: A Boeing 737 Southwest Airlines had to Make a Emergency Landing after parts of the Engine Cowling Detaches
Currently, emergency crews and authorities are on the scene after a Boeing 737-800 Southwest Airlines Flight WN3695/SWA3695 departing… pic.twitter.com/eL8pP4uuY7
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 7, 2024
In response to the incident, Southwest Airlines issued a statement in which it reported that it is fully cooperating with authorities to clarify what happened and expressed apologies to passengers affected by the delay. "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 Airlines said.
It is important to note that this is not the first incident involving Boeing aircraft. This incident marks the fourth Boeing plane that has been diverted to Denver so far this year due to various technical failures, ranging from engine problems to wing and windshield problems. This series of incidents has raised serious concerns about the safety of commercial flights.
🚨#UPDATE: More footage showing the Scary moments for passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver to Houston when the engine cover ripped off during flight pic.twitter.com/uVzfWq3OMl
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 7, 2024
The incident has also highlighted Boeing's challenges in producing and delivering aircraft. Due to delays in aircraft delivery, United Airlines, one of Boeing's largest customers, has had to reduce scheduled flight hours.
For its part, Boeing continues to face the financial and regulatory consequences of these incidents. Recently, it announced a compensation payment to Alaska Airlines for the serious accident of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in January, which resulted in massive flight cancellations and a significant loss for the airline.
