Boeing Southwest Airlines Aircraft Suffers Mid-Flight Incident

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Facts

• Following an incident on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation after a Southwest Airlines aircraft suffered damage to one of its wing flaps due to the detachment of an engine cowling on a Boeing 737-800.¹
• Passengers could see the engine cover ripped apart, with a torn Southwest emblem blowing in the wind. Passengers watched as the cover was being pulled off and flew over the plane's wing.²
• This was just one of several reported safety concerns for the Boeing 737 model. The latest incident took place at 10.3K ft (3.14K m) without any injuries, and the Houston-bound Southwest flight 3695 was able to return to Denver International Airport safely shortly after takeoff.³
• After the incident, Southwest Airlines released a statement confirming that it was in charge of the aircraft's maintenance and that one of its crews would inspect the aircraft. The company said that customer and staff safety comes first at all times.¹
• Boeing declined to answer questions. According to the FAA, the plane has been in service since June 2015 and is the third generation of the 737 NG. The 737 MAX replaced the model.⁴

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Evening Standard, ³Guardian and ⁴France 24.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by CBS. The foundation of every aircraft business is safety. Boeing has received great criticism as the airplane manufacturer has been involved in numerous incidents lately. So far, we know that the responsibility for the maintenance of Southwest Flight 3695 lies with Southwest Airlines. The FAA investigation will find out what happened and where the responsibility lies. Luckily, no one was hurt, and all passengers could land safely.
• Narrative B, as provided by Al Jazeera. Boeing is again under scrutiny after Sunday's incident. The company is under investigation after fatal Boeing 737 MAX accidents in 2018 and 2019. and the US Department of Justice is currently investigating Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737 Max mid-flight rupture. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is rightly auditing Boeing and the the litany of serious issues continues to rack up.

Predictions