US airlines have become so dangerous that even being in their flight path can be fatal. A couple in North Carolina were shocked to find an integral part of a Delta Airlines plane in their driveway.
Planes in the US are falling out of the sky like rain, and it’s not getting much better. The recent incidents have been some of the most fatal in years. There is an understandably higher fear factor involved in flying at the moment.
But, it appears that it’s not just passengers who need to be worried about fatal flights. During a flight over North Carolina, the flap from a Delta Airlines plane fell off and landed in a resident’s driveway. It was found in the morning and quickly identified.
The part in question had fallen from a 737 flight from Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. As it passed over the residential neighbourhood, the flap from the left wing fell off.
Safe Landing Despite Damage
Despite not being a full plane, the staff on board didn’t even know the part had fallen off until after landing. Usually, the flap would be used during takeoff and landing to maintain altitude and slow down. However, the landing was a safe one, even without it.
“After the aircraft landed safely, it was observed that a portion of the left wing’s trailing edge flap was not in place. Delta is fully supporting retrieval efforts. We will cooperate with investigations, as nothing is more important than safety,” a spokesperson for Delta said.
Living close to low-flying aircraft is already pretty terrible, with the constant noise. But, now that the aging stock is falling apart, getting brained by a falling plane part is also added to the risk. It’s not common for bits to drop over residential areas. But it happens enough for me not to want to risk it.
The safety margin is shrinking in the aerospace sector, with outdated stock and a lack of air traffic controllers. In a statement, a panel of experts working for the FAA said, “The current erosion in the margin of safety in the (national airspace system) caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable.”