Delta Air Lines flight DL56, en route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered an unusual situation. The Airbus A330neo aircraft was forced to return to its original destination due to the loss of one of the engine panels.
The aircraft operating the flight is a relatively new Airbus A330-900neo, which was inducted into the Delta Air Lines fleet in February 2020, AviationSource reported. The average age of the company’s aircraft of this model is only 2.4 years, and all 27 aircraft are in active use.
Flight DL56 departed Salt Lake City at 4:45 p.m. local time and was scheduled to head to Amsterdam, but after reaching the North Dakota border, it was decided to return. Despite the seriousness of the incident, the crew did not declare a state of emergency.
Two hours and forty-nine minutes after takeoff, flight DL56 landed safely at its departure airport. According to The Aviation Herald, a pylon panel became detached from the plane during takeoff.
Following the incident, aircraft N405DX made no further flights, and passengers on the flight to Amsterdam were delayed for 24 hours. It is currently unknown how long it will take to replace the pylon panel, but the airline is keen to ensure repairs are completed as quickly and safely as possible.