A portion of an engine cowling fell from a Southwest Airlines flight while departing from Denver International Airport enroute to Houston, Texas early Sunday morning. A Southwest Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport on Sunday morning after its engine cowling tore off during takeoff from the airport.
Viral videos from other passengers depict the damage in real time. The cowling hangs off of the right engine as the plane speeds down the runway before ripping off entirely, according to posts onThe Federal Aviation Administration said the flight returned around 8:15 a.m. “after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap.” The plane was then towed to the gate. The federal agency plans to investigate, a spokesperson said on Sunday afternoon.
“The plane shook a little bit left and right,” he said. Then, he was hit with a “rollercoaster feeling.”Denver International Airport soars past passenger records, serving 77.8 million in 2023 Vahlenkamp remembers an air of calm on the flight, with other customers and crew members remaining collected. After looping around, the pilot informed his passengers that the landing would be faster and harder than usual, said Vahlenkamp, who works as the senior editor of the Boulder Daily Camera.