AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Delta Air Lines aircraft experienced an issue with a wing flap on a recent Texas-bound flight, a representative for the airline has confirmed.
Delta flight 1893 departed from Orlando on Tuesday for a regularly scheduled service to Austin. But prior to landing, passengers looking out of the window noticed a troubling sight on the wing.
“During the flight, while the plane was at an altitude of approximately 12,000 feet, we noticed that a part of the wing had broken and was visibly detached,” Shanila Arif, a passenger on the aircraft, told Nexstar’s KXAN.
Arif shared video with KXAN that appeared to show a dislodged piece of the plane’s left wing flap while it was in the air, calling it “a serious safety event.”
In a statement obtained by KXAN, Delta Air Lines confirmed an issue with the plane’s wing flap, but said the aircraft landed without incident at its intended destination.
“After DL 1893 landed safely and without incident in Austin, it was observed that a portion of the left wing’s flap was not in place,” a Delta spokesperson said.
A wing flap, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, is a piece of the wing designed to be pivoted to adjust the “lift and drag” of an aircraft. Flaps can be used for several purposes, including to help adjust the pitch of the aircraft, the landing speed, the angle of descent, or produce lift during takeoff, according to the FAA.
Delta, in its statement, did not provide a possible reason for the wing flap’s detachment.
The plane — a Boeing 737 carryingsix crew members and 62 customers — was taken out of service for maintenance, according to the airline.
”We apologize to our customers for their experience as nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers,” a Delta spokesperson said.
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