What was supposed to be a routine flight from Orlando to Austin turned into a nerve-racking experience for dozens of Delta Air Lines passengers.
Midway through the trip, travelers looked out their windows only to see a chunk of the plane’s wing hanging loose and flapping wildly in the wind.
Passengers Realize Something Is Wrong
At first, many on board thought they were simply experiencing turbulence.
Passenger Shanila Arif admitted she brushed it off—until another traveler pointed out that part of the wing was visibly damaged.
“We felt it was bad turbulence. The plane was shaking,” Arif told CNN.
“The lady in front of us opened the window and told us it is broken. I opened the window and got scared.”
Her fear only grew as she worried the jagged metal could snap off completely and hit the tail of the plane.
The Terrifying View from the Window
Video captured during the flight shows the broken flap twisting violently in the slipstream, a bright red piece of metal swinging against the rushing air as the plane descended.
For passengers watching from their seats, it looked like disaster could strike at any second.
Safe Landing Despite the Scare
The aircraft, Delta Flight 1893, was carrying 62 passengers and six crew members.
It touched down safely at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 2:24 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 19, and taxied to its gate just ten minutes later.
Delta quickly confirmed the damage, noting that part of the left wing’s flap was “not in place” upon arrival.
The airline stressed that safety remains its top priority and apologized to passengers for the terrifying ordeal.
What Exactly Went Wrong with the Wing?
The jet involved was a Boeing 737, one of the most common planes in U.S. fleets but also one facing scrutiny after several high-profile mechanical failures.
The damaged part was a flap—a crucial panel on the wing that extends during takeoff and landing to help the plane lift and descend safely.
According to Delta, the flap section came loose before landing, but the plane remained stable enough to complete its descent.
Federal Investigators Step In
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now launched an investigation into the incident.
Inspectors will determine why the piece of the wing came loose mid-flight and whether it points to wider safety concerns across Boeing 737 aircraft.
Delta confirmed it has taken the plane out of service for maintenance and pledged to cooperate fully with regulators.
Growing Concerns About Air Safety
This latest scare adds to the ongoing debate about the safety of America’s aging airline fleet and Boeing’s repeated technical issues.
While passengers were fortunate that Flight 1893 landed without incident, the sight of a flapping, broken wing mid-air is bound to leave many travelers uneasy about the reliability of the aircraft they fly on every day.
