A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 arrives at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on January 20, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
The engine cowl fell off Southwest Airlines Boeing The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that the plane was a 737-800 and struck a wing flap while taking off from Denver International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Southwest Flight 3695 was en route to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and returned safely to the gate in Denver at 8:15 a.m. local time. Southwest said customers on the flight were transferred to a different plane and were scheduled to arrive at their destination three hours late.
“Our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft,” Southwest said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident. Southwest did not immediately respond when asked when the plane and engine were last undergoing maintenance.
In response to a request for comment, Boeing referred to Southwest's statement.
The loss of the cowl comes as the Federal Aviation Administration investigates a separate accident at Southwest in March. One of its flights veered off course and flew close to the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport while trying to land in New York.
The plane is an older model of the Boeing 737 compared to the MAX planes. Boeing is under heightened regulatory scrutiny after an incident in January when a door plug on a nearly new 737 Max 9 exploded while an Alaska Airlines flight was at 16,000 feet, causing a near-disaster.
Boeing's quality control problems have escalated into safety concerns, slowing deliveries of new MAX planes. Big Boeing customers like Southwest and… united They say the issues have affected their growth plans.
Long-awaited FAA certification of the 737 Max 7 and Max 10 is also behind previous timelines. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said last month that he would step down by the end of the year, and Boeing replaced its chairman and CEO of its commercial aircraft unit.
