A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to make a turnaround to Denver International Airport during the early hours of Sunday.
According to reports from local media outlets, it arose after the engine cowling fell off the Boeing 737 and slammed into the wing flap during takeoff.
The news went viral onboard with terrified and screaming passengers trying to keep it together after realizing what they were in for next as the pilot had declared an emergency.
The early morning flight was on its way to the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston when all of a sudden, the passengers and crew came to the realization that the cowling tore off and was therefore flapping precariously against the jet.
The cowling is the name reserved for the metal covering on the engine that is designed to provide support to one of the aircraft’s most crucial components.
One brave passenger says he was the first to notice and therefore alerted the cabin crew of what he was seeing, making sure to capture the incident as well. “It is just tragic that a company as big as Boeing is being called out so much. The quality is dropping and this is risking so many people’s lives”- another added.
Thankfully, the plane did manage to head back after a dreaded 30-minute journey.