United States: FAA investigates “engine incident” at Southwest Boeing

The American Civil Aviation Agency (FAA) launched an investigation Thursday evening following a problem with a Boeing 737 owned by American company Southwest, which reported an “engine incident” before takeoff.

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“Southwest Airlines Flight 1928 aborted its takeoff and returned to the terminal at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in Texas, (…) after the crew reported engine problems,” the regulator said, adding that the incident occurred at 5:45 p.m. local. time

“The FAA will investigate,” she said.

The flight was scheduled to fly to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The airline said the crew of this 737-800 NG (Next Generation) – the version before the 737 MAX – “received an indication of an engine problem”.

The flight was “safely aborted” and “the aircraft returned to the boarding gate under its own power,” the company continued, adding that it transported 154 passengers to their destination on Thursday evening on another device.

According to a recording of exchanges between the control tower and the cockpit, available on a separate site and contacted by AFP, the pilot mentioned “overheating of the brakes” and “fire in the left engine”.

The municipality of Lubbock said in a separate statement that crews reported an “engine fire” and mobilized the city's firefighters as a precaution.

“None of the passengers were injured,” she said.

Furthermore, the American regulator is investigating another incident involving a Southwest flight diverted to Baltimore-Washington Airport when it was scheduled to land at New York's LaGuardia Airport on March 23.

“Southwest Flight 147 (…) encountered turbulence and low visibility” when it landed in New York, the airline explained in a statement sent to AFP.

For its part, the FAA said, “An air traffic controller advised the crew of Southwest Flight 147, which deviated from its trajectory due to bad weather, around 1 p.m. local time.

He was diverted to the Baltimore airport, where he “landed safely,” she said. He is from Nashville (Tennessee).

The regulator has launched an investigation, which will specifically make it possible to “determine whether the aircraft flew over the control tower at LaGuardia”.