A panel on the wing of Delta Flight 2412, flying from Orlando to Atlanta, came undone yesterday but the pilots managed to land the flight without incident.
The wing panel fell-off as the aircraft was mid-air, leaving gears and wiring uncovered.
Delta spokesman Anthony Black told NBC News that the missing panel, which fell off in mid-air on Flight 2412, did not affect the plane’s “ability to fly or land.”
As a precaution, the crew declared an emergency on approach, and the plane was towed to the gate after it landed, Black was further quoted. None of the passengers or crew members was injured.
ABC News quotes passenger David Watterson, who was on the flight and was asleep when he heard a big boom. As he woke up, he was stunned to notice a section of the plane’s wing exposed and hydraulic fluid leaking.
“All the passengers were remarkably calm,” he said. Watterson said the crew members handled the situation professionally.
An enquiry on what went wrong is underway.