'Boeing should close up': Internet baffled as Southwest Airlines jet's engine cowling plummets after colliding with wing flap amid take-off

DENVER, COLORADO: Social media users were baffled after a video showing a Boeing plane's engine cover breaking off and slamming into the wing flap during takeoff went viral.

This isn't the first time a Boeing aircraft has been involved in such a frightening incident. Earlier, a United Airlines flight successfully reached its destination from San Francisco without any obstructions, only for officials to notice a missing panel upon landing.

This led them to conduct a thorough safety inspection on the runway.

Southwest Airlines flight's engine cowling smashes into its wing flap

According to the Daily Mail, a Southwest Airlines flight had a scary ordeal when its engine cover, also called the cowling, broke off and hit the wing flap during takeoff at Denver International Airport.

The flight, heading to William P Hobby Airport in Houston, was disrupted on Sunday, April 7, morning when passengers and crew noticed the cowling tearing off and flapping against the plane.

Sending off goosebumps across the internet, the video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and showed parts of the plane flapping in the wind as it flew. Fortunately, the plane safely returned to Denver Airport around 8:15 am after taking off at 7:39 am.

In one of the videos making rounds online, the pilot can be heard announcing over the plane's speaker system, "Let's go ahead and declare and emergency for Southwest 3695. And we'd like an immediate return. We've got a piece of engine cowling hanging off apparently."

Passengers reportedly had to inform the pilot about the missing cowling.

Just before declaring the emergency, the Southwest pilot told the Denver air traffic controller, "For now everything's okay. We don't even know the nature of it, but apparently, several passengers and flight attendants heard something loud hit the wing. I'm not a 100 percent sure it was the engine. I think the flaps on the inboard side of the engine ... between the engine and the fuselage ripped off on takeoff. We don't actually see it from the cockpit, that's just what the crew in back is telling us. Our engines seem to be fine, but we are structurally damaged."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated, "Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday, April 7, after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap. The Boeing 737-800 was towed to the gate. The FAA will investigate," as per Daily Mail.

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said, "Southwest Flight 3695 returned to Denver International Airport this morning and landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue. We're working now to get customers on their way to Houston on another aircraft. Our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft."

Internet suggests Boeing should call off all operations

Social media users took to Facebook to express their opinion on the scary situation and suggested that Boeing should just stop making planes.

One user wrote, "These are not manufacturing issues, they are maintenance issues. The airlines are slacking."

Another user said, "What in the world is going on? Where us maintenance on planes. This is not one life in jepordy, but many. They need to step it up a bit and think."

A person commented, "Happening too many times lately.Maybe they need new planes or having more inspectors do more checking on whose doing maintenance work,whether using inferior parts,to save money."

Another said, "Maybe Boeing should close up."

One individual wrote, "This is why daily and turnaround inspections are critical before flight. This is moreso on the maintainers than Boeing."

Another person stated, "This is what happens why you hire based on DEI, forced diversity and affirmative action instead of based on merit and qualifications."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.