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A UPS Airlines Boeing 767-300F was grounded at Cologne Bonn Airport after two metal alloy covers separated from the aircraft during landing. The incident occurred as flight 5X259 approached the airport, with the crew reporting slat issues to air traffic control. Upon landing, it was discovered that parts had detached from the plane within a 10-mile radius of the airfield.
The Aviation Herald reported that pilots landed at a higher-than-normal speed due to a malfunction in the slats caused by missing panels. The affected aircraft, registered as N393UP, is over 27 years old and was originally delivered to LAN Chile in 1998 as a passenger jet before being converted for cargo use. After serving various operators, UPS Airlines began leasing the jet in 2020.
Cologne has seen increased traffic as UPS expands its operations through this cargo hub. In a statement from 2022, Michiel van Veen, Managing Director of UPS Nordics, said: “We are continuing to develop our European network to meet the growing e-commerce demand for the region… to expand into global markets faster, thanks to a new connection to our global air network.”
