Engine cover rips off Alaska Airlines plane during emergency landing

An investigation has been underway to isolate the cause of the incident

File photo of an Alaska Airlines flight departing Seattle for San Diego (Ted S. Warren/AP)

The engine cover of an Alaska Airlines plane completely tore off the aircraft during an emergency landing.

San Diego-bound flight ASA558 had to return to Seattle airport 20 minutes after take-off on 22 August, following a report of an “unusual vibration” soon after the Boeing 737 had departed.

On returning to the runway, the thin metal covers on both sides of the left engine pod – which had been flapping in the wind throughout the short flight – tore off completely due to the force of the landing.

The sheets of metal then hit the fuselage.

The aircraft landed safely despite the damage shown in footage that has been shared on social media.

Alaska Airlines said there were 176 passengers and six crew members on board, with passengers booked on an alternative flight following the incident.

In a statement, the airline said: “The two pilots who operated the flight have more than 32 years of combined flying experience.

“They, along with our flight attendants, handled the incident with tremendous professionalism and care. We also greatly appreciated the patience of our guests during this event.”

The aircraft has been out of service while a safety team investigates, the airline said.

The Seattle Times reported that engine covers have previously ripped off in about a dozen similar incidents because “a mechanic failed to re-latch the doors properly before takeoff and preflight inspections by the pilots and maintenance supervisors missed the error.”

The newspaper suggested that “sometimes this maintenance work between flights may be done in the dark or performed in a hurry because the next flight is behind schedule.”

Earlier this month, a similar incident saw the engine covers get ripped off a Boeing 737.

On 12 August, a Southwest Airlines aircraft flying from Orlando, Florida, had the covers torn off as it landed in St. Louis, Missouri. No injuries were reported.