737-MAX makes emergency landing on way to being grounded
A Boeing 737-MAX jet had to make an emergency landing in Orlando because of engine failure shortly after take-off.
The Southwest Airlines flight, which was on its way to being grounded in California, landed safely at around 2.50pm on Tuesday. No passengers were on board.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft experienced an engine problem shortly after take-off.
But it said the engine problem was unrelated to issues that prompted the grounding of 737-MAX aircraft two weeks ago.
The Southwest aircraft had been on its way to Victorville in the western Mojave Desert, where the airline is storing its 737-MAX fleet.
The aircraft was grounded just over two weeks ago when an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after take off, with all 157 passengers and crew reported dead.
The incident was the second fatal flight involving a Boeing 737-MAX in five months, after a Lion Air aircraft crashed in October, killing all 189 onboard.
Southwest said flight 8701 returned to Orlando International Airport shortly before 3pm EDT after the pilots ‘reported a performance issue with one of the engines shortly after takeoff’.
Southwest added: "The crew followed protocol and safely landed back at the airport."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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