Look Out Below! Flight Returns To Austin After Engine Failure

Investigators with the FAA are looking into why several pieces of an engine from an American Airlines plane fell onto an Austin, TX car lot last weekend.

The flight has just left Austin/Bergstrom International en route to Dallas when the pilots reported engine problems at 4,000 ft. A spokesman for the airline later said the plane experienced a contained engine failure.

Not contained enough, apparently, as Dallas television station NBC 5 reports several hot metal pieces, each roughly the size of a quarter, fell from the engine... and onto an Austin car lot. Several hit the roof of a building, and one even smashed through a windshield.

An aircraft type wasn't mentioned in the report. American's website shows the Austin - DFW route is flown by either MD-80s, or MD-83s (photo of type below).

Whatever the aircraft type, the plane was able to return to Austin, and landed safely.

While there were no injuries reported from this incident (in fact, ANN was unable to locate an FAA Prelim on the event) we do recommend if you're shopping for a car in Austin, to ask if those dents are, in fact, mere "hail" damage.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov