Plane Landed Safely In Honolulu

A United Airlines Boeing 777 shed an engine cowling about 40 minutes before it was scheduled to land in Honolulu, causing the pilot to declare an emergency. The plane landed on schedule in Hawaii, and there were no reported injuries.

Hawaii News Now reports that, according to passenger Allison Sudiacal, there was a "loud bang" when the cowling came off the starboard engine, and the plane was rattling and shaking during the remainder of the flight.

Sudiacal, who was traveling with her husband and 4-month-old son, said the flight crew kept the passengers informed during the flight, and the landing was fairly smooth, considering the circumstances.

Images posted to social media show the engine missing its cowling. In a statement, United Airlines said its pilots "followed all necessary protocols to safely land the aircraft" and that it would cooperate fully with the FAA and NTSB. There were 363 passengers on board the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, according to the report.

The Hawaii department of Transportation released a statement that fire equipment was dispatched to the runway "as a precaution" at the request of the pilot. The plane was towed to a hangar, and there were no delays reported at the airport.

(Image from video posted to YouTube by user Les Photos de JCB TV & Aviation Videos)

FMI: Original report