A shocking video has captured the moment a Boeing plane loses part of its wing in mid-air. The Federal Aviation Administration is probing an incident where a flap on a Boeing 737’s wing partially detached before landing in Texas on Tuesday.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1893 was flying from Orlando International to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when passengers noticed something had partially broken away from the back of the wing. Passenger Shanila Arif, who captured the shocking footage, told CNN: “We felt it was bad turbulence. The plane was shaking. The lady in front of us opened the window and told us it is broken. I opened the window and got scared.”
Her video showed the flap dangling behind the wing, as the plane flew at hundreds of miles an hour thousands of feet in the air.
She feared if the piece completely broke off it could hit the tail of the aircraft and cause a crash.
After landing, “it was observed that a portion of the left wing’s flap was not in place”, Delta Air Lines said in a statement.
It added: “The aircraft has been taken out of service for maintenance.”
Flaps are surfaces on the back of the wing designed to be extended for takeoff and landing.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “After DL 1893 landed safely and without incident in Austin, it was observed that a portion of the left wing’s flap was not in place.
“The aircraft has been taken out of service for maintenance. We apologise to our customers for their experience as nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers.”
There were 62 passengers and six crew members onboard the plane. No one was injured. Delta pledged to fully cooperate with the FAA investigation.