A United Airlines Holdings Inc. plane returned to a Connecticut airport after lose part of a lining from the inside of the engine coveranother incident for an airline already under scrutiny for a series of flight mishaps this year.
He Airbus SE A320 plane departed from Bradley International Airport in Hartford Thursday morning en route to the Denver International Airport when The crew heard an “abnormal noise”according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
United said in a separate statement that a piece of a “sound-deadening exterior liner” under the hood was found on the runway after landing. There were no injuries and the FAA said it would investigate.
The airline’s safety procedures have been under review by the FAA since a series of incidents that included a piece of fuselage that came loose in flight and a wheel that fell off a plane after takeoff. The broader US aviation industry has been under increased scrutiny since Januarywhen a panel suspended an Alaska Airlines flight.
Flight breakdowns United Airlines Holdings Inc
The plane in the latest United incident is 22 years old. While the cause of the incident was not immediately known, problems with older aircraft are often isolated and are not a sign of systemic problems or manufacturing defects.
The plane lost several pieces of sheet metal on takeoff that were recovered from the runwayand other debris fell off upon landing, according to a recording of conversations between the airport control tower and the plane posted on LiveATC.net.
The pilot of a nearby JetBlue Airways Corp. plane initially reported the debris to the tower, which had to divert some planes to other runways. The United pilot told the tower that one of the engines was slightly exceeding normal exhaust gas temperatures and he was concerned he had hit a bird or blown a tire during takeoff.
““We are declaring an emergency,” the United pilot said. “Everything works well, the engine is within the parameters”.
There were 124 passengers and five crew members on the flight, which headed to the airport gate after landing.
The FAA review has limited certification activities for United, effectively restricting the airline’s growth. While the review is underway, United said last month it could begin the process of adding new planes and routes again.
CEO Scott Kirby has said the Chicago-based airline was “embracing” the FAA assessment as an opportunity to improve what you consider a security level which is already high.
United shares fell 1.4% in New York trading.
