An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 safely returned and landed in Seattle not long after leaving the city and losing an engine cowling, the metal covering that covers an airplane engine.
An irregular vibration on the side of the plane was said to be the reason for the left cowling coming loose, according to the Simple Flying news site.
The plane was flying to San Diego, California. But only flew as far as Mount Rainier before being forced to turn back and return to Seattle’s airport.
While returning to Seattle, the plane miraculously landed intact even though footage shared by passengers to social media showed that the engine cowling had come lose and tore off the plane as it taxied to a half on the 3,627-meter runway at Seattle’ airport.
The runway was closed temporarily while debris from the engine and its covering was cleared by crews.
The plane had managed to reach only 12,975-feet before it turned back, which might have averted disaster.
No one was injured in the emergency landing, according to the report. Once the plane landed, it was taken out of use for maintenance, and passengers boarded another aircraft.
"Alaska Airlines Flight 558 from Seattle to San Diego on Monday morning reported an unusual vibration on the left side of the aircraft soon after departure. The aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely. Part of the metal paneling that covers the engine, called the cowling, detached from the aircraft when it landed,” Alaska Airlines told Simple Flying.