United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Return After Engine Panel Loss

1.7K

A United Airlines Holdings Inc. plane had to return to a Connecticut airport after losing part of a liner from inside the engine’s cover. This incident adds to a series of flight mishaps this year for the carrier, which is already under scrutiny.

The Airbus SE A320 aircraft took off from Bradley International Airport in Hartford on Thursday morning, bound for Denver International Airport. Shortly after departure, the crew detected an “abnormal noise,” as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In a separate statement, United Airlines confirmed that a piece of a “sound-dampening outer liner” beneath the cowling was discovered on the runway after landing. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the FAA has initiated an investigation into the incident.

United Airlines has been subject to an FAA review due to a string of safety incidents earlier this year, including a piece of fuselage detaching in flight and a wheel falling off a plane after takeoff. The US aviation industry as a whole has been under increased scrutiny since January, following an incident where a panel broke off an Alaska Airlines flight.

The aircraft involved in this latest incident is 22 years old. Although the exact cause of the problem has not been determined, issues with older planes are typically isolated and not indicative of systemic issues or manufacturing defects.

According to a recording of conversations between the airport control tower and the plane, the aircraft lost several pieces of sheet metal upon takeoff, which were recovered from the runway. Additional debris fell off during landing. The pilot of a nearby JetBlue Airways Corp. plane initially reported the debris to the control tower, leading to some planes being diverted to other runways.

The United pilot informed the tower that one of the engines was slightly exceeding normal exhaust gas temperatures and expressed concern about the possibility of hitting a bird or blowing a tire on takeoff. “We are declaring an emergency,” the United pilot said. “Everything is running fine, the engine is within parameters.”

The flight had 124 passengers and five crew members onboard. After landing, the plane taxied to an airport gate without further issues.

Due to the ongoing FAA review, United Airlines has faced limitations on its certification activities, restricting the carrier’s growth. However, United announced last month that it could soon resume adding new planes and routes. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby stated that the Chicago-based carrier is “embracing” the FAA evaluation as an opportunity to enhance their already high safety standards.

Following the incident, United’s shares fell by 1.4% in New York trading.