Boeing may be facing its own accountability crisis, but aircraft maintenance issues are not limited to Boeing or United Airlines…as one Delta Air Lines passenger found who was initially elated to fly on an Airbus…until a panel fell off.
Woman Was Excited To Fly Airbus Instead Of Boeing Until Her Delta A330neo Had A Problem Too
As flagged by PYOK, Heidi Hatch was excited to fly on Delta Air Lines from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Amsterdam (AMS) on Sunday, particularly because her flight would be operated by an Airbus widebody jet.
She noted that she was excited to fly an Airbus specifically because it was not a Boeing.
The flight took off, but apparently unbeknownst to the flight crew, an engine panel fell off during takeoff. When discovered, the plane made a u-turn over the Montana – North Dakota border and returned to Salt Lake City. It landed safely and without incident.
The aricraft, registration number N405DX, remains out of service and on the ground in Salt Lake City.
So much for avoiding mechanical issues by avoiding Boeing…
Flying to Amsterdam with @Delta I was excited to be on an Airbus
Because Boeing probs.
Turns out all jets are the same.
We got close to the Canadian border & turned around.
Apparently the Engine Inspection panel
was found on the tarmac after takeoff. Headed back to get it.— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) March 25, 2024
Delta has issued the following statement about the flight:
“Delta flight 56 from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam safely returned to SLC due to a reported mechanical issue. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel and are working to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
It remains unclear why the engine inspection panel detached from the side of one of the aircraft, which uses Trent 7000 engines. But considering these panels do not generally just fall off, you have to wonder if this was another maintenance oversight.
CONCLUSION
Flying is among the safe forms of transport….that must always be repeated in a story like this. But it is rather ironic that a woman who sought out an Airbus due to an aversion to Boeing suffered a mechanical incident…
image: Andrew E. Cohen
Math isn’t strong with this one. Someone needs to explain to her how many Boeing planes are in service daily.
Getting “excited” because she wasn’t flying one? Her husband must not be able to keep up with all his wives if this is what excites her. I won’t even get into the fact she works for the media at the CBS affiliate in SLC.
There are literally thousands of Boeing planes flying around daily without incident. That said, the 737-MAX is a problem and not a plane I will get on any time soon.
Maintenance Departments also Need Preventative Maintenance , and Replacements once in a while .
Skilled labor isn’t cheap … Cheap labor isn’t skilled .
When you have excessive free time, people often worry and become anxious over things that they really should not fear. Small events, magnified by the media drumbeat can make anxiety rule your world instead of of living your life. I think we are seeing that with Ms. Hatch.
Exactly. Too much social media. Too much free time. If she gets a real job she wouldn’t have time to worry about what brand of plane she is going to fly.
@Santastico … What if the FAs caution the passengers about the dangers of food and water in Mexico ? What if the nurses cautioned the passengers about the dangers of surgery ? What if the politicians caution the voters about the dangers of electing someone who doesn’t know what day it is ?
Serious question… Do you not consider working for a local network news affiliate a real job?
“She noted that she was excited to fly an Airbus specifically because it was not a Boeing.” Now, what is she going to fly? An Embraer to Europe? What a complete BS. She should have stayed home or taken the Greyhound bus.
This is the level of intellect I’ve come to expect from members of the media.
That kind of comment harms the credibility of TV journalists when they make wild statements like Airbus good, Boeing bad. What crashed in the Atlantic between Rio and Paris? Airbus. What crashed after 9/11 near JFK? Airbus (AA A300-600). What crashed landed into the Hudson as US1549? Airbus.
Airbus and Boeing are reputable. Both can have problems.
@derek … “CREDIBILITY OF TV JOURNALISTS” ? hahaha …
Once the planes are delivered it’s up tot he airlines to maintain them, not Boeing or Airbus. The media is making a lot of noise about safety but it more an issue of airline maintenance (looking at you Kirby) then manufacturing (Max issues aside). So, if the plane after a few years flying for an airlines has an issue, I turn to the airline and not the manufacturer in most cases. DL, SWA and AA do amazing work with huge fleets, UA maybe growing to fast as Kirby wants to be the largest but looks like that will cost him going forward. Things can happen but if anything we’ve learned good crews and good maintenance mean if it does, the plane can still be safe.
Boeing lost their way with McDonald Douglas management and the ill advised move to a Chicago HQ. Time to put Boeing back in charge of Boeing and move HQ back to Seattle, take back Spirit in Wichita and get back to building the best planes in the world. Also, drop the 737 and build a true next generation narrow body.
Hoping Delta charged her an extra $5000 for that PREMIUM airline experience.
Funny. I flew on this exact plane just a few weeks ago. Glad it’s holding up.
My dear flyers. It doesn’t help shaming the person – Ms. Hatch in this case. Every one is different. Let’s respect her views. Also, because the incidents are few and far between, it doesn’t make airlines “saints”. They need to maintain the planes as people maintain their cars. If the FAA had done its job right, it would have caught the lapses and we won’t be discussing these situations. I also agree with all of you that media makes mountain out of a mole. It should do a better job of providing the facts.
These US based airlines sure seem to skimping on maintenance. They should not be allowed to overfly other countries till they get their act together.