Jetliner Loses Engine, Lands Safely
An engine fell off the wing of a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Tuesday from the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport, but the pilot landed the plane safely and no one was injured, a company spokesman said.
Spokesman Steve Smith said 39 passengers and five crew members were on board the two-engine Boeing 737-300 for a scheduled nonstop flight to Houston. As the plane took off, the right engine dropped off the wing and crashed onto a grassy area next to a runway.
The plane circled the airport to line up for an emergency landing and came down safely about two minutes after takeoff.
Emergency equipment met the plane, but there was no fire, authorities said.
“I was looking at the wing and it buckled,” passenger Paul Delgado said. “I thought I was just tired, but then there was a tremendous boom and a lot of black smoke coming up from the cavity left by the engine.”
The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the incident.
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