Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 returns safely after inflight engine issue

This particular Boeing 757-200 is one of Delta’s oldest aircraft, delivered in 1991 and serving domestic routes for over three decades. It has previously experienced engine-related problems; in 2008, it suffered an uncontained failure of its right-hand engine during takeoff from Las Vegas McCarran International Airport due to fatigue cracks in turbine blades. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed that incident to excessive material loss during a prior overhaul involving aggressive grit blasting, which weakened the turbine hub. Similar cracks were found in other PW2037 engines operated by both Delta and American Airlines, leading NTSB investigators to call for improved maintenance procedures and stronger oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Pratt & Whitney.

Delta Air Lines has faced other recent engine-related incidents as well. On July 18, a Boeing 767-400 operating flight DL446 from Los Angeles to Atlanta returned shortly after departure because of a reported engine fire. According to the BBC, video footage captured by Josh of LA Flights showed emergency crews responding as the plane landed safely with no injuries.

Earlier in July, another Delta flight—an Airbus A330 operating as DL127 from Madrid Barajas Airport to New York JFK—diverted to Lajes Airport in the Azores after pilots reported a shudder and yawing caused by an engine issue. According to The Aviation Herald, the affected engine was shut down mid-flight and passengers waited overnight for a replacement aircraft while receiving accommodations provided by Delta.