Miami: A Delta plane`s engine failed in mid-air over Florida, forcing the flight to make an emergency landing on Sunday morning, authorities said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said it was a so-called "contained" engine failure, meaning small parts such as fan blades came out the back of the engine. A more dangerous scenario would be if the pieces penetrated the engine`s cover and were uncontained.
It was not immediately clear what caused the failure, Bergen said.
Sheriff`s deputies recovered pieces of what appeared to be the damaged engine from an area near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, said Broward County Aviation Department spokesman Greg Meyer.
The plane returned to the airport shortly after its 7:45 am takeoff and landed safely, Meyer said. The 140 passengers headed for Minneapolis are being rebooked on other flights.
A Delta spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Bureau Report