FAA probe after Spirit Airlines engine debris falls over Detroit
No frills carrier Spirit Airlines is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration after engine parts rained down on homes in the Detroit area.
The flight to Atlanta earlier this week was forced to return to Detroit Metropolitan Airport after reportedly experiencing engine failure.
The jet landed safely without incident despite passenger accounts of ‘a large bang’ and the engine on fire.
"I thought we were going to die. People were holding hands, praying, getting out of hand with their emotions, but you can’t blame them," passenger Jeff Luke told news station WJBK.
The airline is ‘fully cooperating’ with the FAA investigation.
"On Monday evening, Spirit Airlines flight 569 from Detroit to Atlanta returned to the gate shortly after takeoff following a reported mechanical issue. Customers were placed on another plane and continued on to their final destinations," the airline said.
Aircraft parts started falling as it made its descent back to Detroit, the FAA told the Detroit Free Press and investigators are examining parts which landed in the yards of Detroit homes near the airport.
"The FAA is interested in collecting these pieces so we can determine if they came from an aircraft, and if so, if they came from the same aircraft," the FAA said in a statement.
"It’s hard to speculate, we will determine the cause of the incident," said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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