Local News in Brief : Jet Returns to LAX After Part Falls Off
A Pan Am jumbo jet bound for New York was forced to return to Los Angeles International Airport shortly after takeoff Tuesday when several passengers saw parts of an engine cover fall off the plane, officials said.
Pan Am Flight 85, a Boeing 747 with 254 passengers and 15 crew members, was en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport, airline spokesman Alan Loflin said.
It had just left the ground about 10:22 a.m. when passengers informed crew members that they saw debris beneath the left wing, Loflin said.
The pilot determined the debris was from a cover over the No. 2 engine and returned to the airport at 10:58 a.m., Loflin said. The 747 has four wing-mounted engines, with No. 2 on the inside-left.
There were no injuries and the plane landed safely, Loflin said.
Airline officials had the jetliner taxi to a maintenance area with the passengers still aboard. After a preliminary investigation found the problem could not be fixed immediately, the passengers were routed on other airlines, Loflin said.
He said the jet would be examined by FAA officials.
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