(Reuters) – The engine cover of a Southwest Airlines Co Boeing 737-800 fell off during takeoff in Denver on Sunday and struck a wing flap, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to launch an investigation.
No one was injured and Southwest Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday and was towed to the gate after the engine cowling broke.
The Boeing Co. plane, which took off for Houston Hobby Airport with 135 passengers and six crew members, climbed to an altitude of about 10,300 feet before returning 25 minutes after takeoff.
The passengers arrived in Houston on another Southwest flight, about four hours behind schedule. Southwest said maintenance teams are reviewing the plane.
According to FAA records, the aircraft entered service in June 2015. Boeing referred questions to Southwest.
The 737-800 is a successor to the previous generation of the best-selling 737 known as the 737 NG, which was later replaced by the 737 MAX.
Southwest declined to say when the plane’s engines were last serviced.
ABC News broadcast a video on the social media platform X of a torn engine cover with a torn Southwest logo fluttering in the air.
Boeing has faced intense criticism after a door plug panel on a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet broke off at an altitude of 16,000 feet on January 5.
Following that incident, the FAA grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks, preventing Boeing from increasing MAX production rates and requiring it to develop a comprehensive plan to address “systemic quality-control issues” within 90 days. Ordered.
Boeing’s production has fallen short of the maximum of 38 MAX planes allowed per month by the FAA. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the MAX 9 incident.
In December, the FAA proposed mandating engine housing inspection and component replacement on Boeing 737 NG airplanes following the 2018 Southwest fatal fan blade incident.
According to the instructions, operators will need to inspect and replace certain components on the engine cowling by July 2028. The National Transportation Safety Board called on Boeing in 2019 to redesign the fan cowling structure after the incident.
The FAA is investigating several other recent engine issues on Southwest’s fleet of Boeing planes.
A Southwest 737-800 flight Thursday was aborted for takeoff and diverted back to the gate at Lubbock Airport in Texas after the crew reported an engine problem. The FAA is also investigating a March 25 Southwest 737 flight that returned to Austin, Texas, airport after the crew reported a possible engine problem.
The March 22 Southwest 737-800 flight returned to Fort Lauderdale Airport after the crew reported an engine problem. It is also being reviewed by the FAA.
