The aviation regulator said a Southwest Airlines service from Denver to Houston, operated by a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, was forced to turn back on Sunday morning (7 April) after the crew reported an engine cowling fell off during take-off, striking the wing flap.
No one was hurt and affected passengers were transferred onto a later service to Houston.
“We apologise for the inconvenience of their delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our customers and employees,” said the carrier in a statement.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of safety and quality control processes at Boeing following a series of incidents in recent years, most notably the two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 Max aircraft.
Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun resigned late last month.
In January, authorities were forced to ground Boeing’s 737 Max 9 aircraft after a door plug blew out mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines flight to California.
Boeing paid $160 million (£126 million) in compensation to the carrier. In late-February, it was given a 90-day ultimatum to sort out the quality control issues it was suffering.
TTG has approached Boeing for further comment.
