Flight 3695 was on its way to Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport Sunday when it was forced to return to its gate at Denver, and did so safely at 8:15 AM local time, said the FAA. Customers then transferred to a different aircraft and arrived at their destination three hours late.
One passenger said the engine cowling “peeled off within the first 10 minutes” of the flight. Another person simply said of the plane part “it all blew away”.
"We all felt kind of a bump, a jolt, and I looked out the window because I love window seats, and there it was," the passenger said.
"People in the exit row across from me started yelling up to the flight attendants and showed them the damage," another passenger said, adding that the experience was “frightening”.
Southwest said its maintenance crew would review the aircraft, which had reached an altitude of about 10,000 feet when one of the engine cowlings peeled off. The FAA also said it will investigate the incident.
“We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our Customers and Employees,” said Southwest in a statement. They added that no injuries were reported.
It’s the latest incident in a series of mechanical issues creating a PR headache for Boeing. On January 5, a door plug panel tore off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 at 16,000 feet. Though the situation could have been tragic, no one was seriously injured.
The FAA is also investigating a separate Southwest incident that occurred in March when one of its flights strayed off course and flew close to the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport while attempting to land.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced last month that he would step down by the end of the year. Boeing also replaced its chairman and chief executive of its commercial plane unit.