An Alaska Airlines flight heading to San Diego was forced to return to Sea-Tac Airport after parts of an engine cowling detached.
The issue began just minutes after take-off with an ‘unusual vibration,’ the captain told passengers.
Further pieces of the cowling fell off as the plane was landing.
The Boeing 737 was taken out of service for a full safety inspection.
The landing was uneventful and all 176 passengers deplaned as normal.
“The two pilots have more than 32 years of combined flying experience. They, along with our flight attendants, handled the incident with tremendous professionalism,” the airline said.
