A Delta Airlines flight bound for Atlanta declared an emergency before landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, April 18.
The flight crew of the Boeing 757-200 plane noticed a “flap disagree,” which occurs when the aircraft’s flaps become misaligned, a spokesperson for Delta said.
Delta flight declares emergency over ‘flap disagreement’
The Delta flight 2728 departed the Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah at 8:20 am and safely landed in Atlanta, one minute ahead of the schedule at 9:35 am. The emergency was declared with the Air Traffic Command (ATC) for prioritising the aircraft’s handling, following which, pilots were able to land as normal with no reported injuries, per Fox 5 Atlanta.
“This is an uncommon occurrence but is a part of extensive flight crew training to manage through safely,” the spokesperson said. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” they added. This incident comes amid the growing issues with Boeing aircraft.
Recent issues with Boeing planes
Back in January, a part of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 jet blew out mid-air, causing a door-sized hole on one side of the aircraft. The same month, on January 18, one of the engines of a Boeing 747 cargo plane operated by Atalas Air failed during takeoff from Miami. Again, on January 23, a Delta Air Lines’ Boeing 757 lost its nose tyre during takeoff in Atlanta, per the outlet.
Following the series of highly publicised mishaps, the Federal Aviation Administration increased the oversight of United Airlines. “Certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight,” the FAA said, per AP. The agency also said in a report published February that many employees were unaware of how to report concerns or whom to report them to, per Fox 5.