Boeing 737-800 Plane Safe Return to Denver Airport After Engine Cover Strikes Wing Flap

On Sunday, a Houston-bound Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Southwest Airlines safely returned to Denver International Airport after an engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated that it will investigate the incident.

In recorded air traffic control audio, one of the pilots mentioned that several passengers and flight attendants heard something loud hit the wing. Southwest Airlines confirmed that passengers would board another plane to Houston and would be approximately three hours behind schedule. The airline apologized for the inconvenience but highlighted their top priority of safety for customers and employees.

Southwest Airlines stated that no injuries were reported and that their maintenance teams would review the aircraft. The flight took off at 7:49 a.m. local time and returned at 8:15 a.m. when it reached an altitude of about 10,000 feet. FAA records had deemed the plane airworthy in May 2015.

Boeing declined to provide a comment and directed media inquiries to Southwest Airlines for information about aircraft and fleet operations. This incident is part of a series of recent mechanical issues affecting Boeing aircraft in various airlines over the past few months despite ongoing safety scrutiny of the company’s planes.