Passengers on a United Airlines flight from California to Hawaii were alarmed when they saw parts of their plane...fall off in-flight.
#ua1175 so glad we are all safe after our emergency landing.
Even though the plane landed safely in Honolulu, the trip wasn't exactly pleasant for those onboard.
Scariest flight of my life #ua1175
Passenger Maria Falashchi praised the crew's response during the emergency.
@mrobertsonsf @SFGate It was about 45 minutes until we landed. Heard a big bang and the plane started to shake viol… https://t.co/hYSy2D1Wt4
Passengers sitting in rows overlooking the wings had a bird's-eye view of the unfolding drama.
that looks bad, plane and simple ✈️ #ua1175
Although the situation was scary, some passengers — like Google engineer Erik Haddad — were amused.
I don't see anything about this in the manual ✈️#ua1175
In a statement, United Airlines confirmed that the plane made an emergency landing at 12:38 p.m. local time.
for those fellow flight enthusiasts wanting to see more detail #ua1175
“United flight 1175 traveling to Honolulu from San Francisco landed safely after the pilots called for an emergency landing because of an issue with the #2 engine. Our pilots followed all necessary protocols to safely land the aircraft," they said in a statement.
It is believed that the cowling — the covering over an airplane's engine — became loose and then fell away during the flight.
The plane was met by emergency service vehicles, United said. They added that the airline "is fully cooperating" with investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.