An Airbus A320 operated by Delta Air Lines suffered visible nose damage after landing safely in Denver on Monday, officials confirmed.
The incident, which occurred on Flight 1648 from Detroit, is now under investigation by the airline.
According to flight tracker FlightAware, the plane left Detroit at 12:36 p.m. ET and touched down in Denver at 1:38 p.m. MT after a three-hour journey. The damage was first brought to public attention when passenger Lynn Park shared photos on social media, asking Delta, “@Delta this is DL 1648 after arriving in Denver today. Care to share what happened?”
Delta spokesperson Bre’onna Richardson said in a statement sent to NTD News that the aircraft has since been repaired.
“On Delta flight 1648 from Detroit (DTW) to Denver (DEN), crews received an indication of a mechanical issue in the nose of the aircraft. The flight landed safely and taxied to the gate without incident,” the statement reads.
“Our maintenance crews inspected and repaired the aircraft overnight. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel.”
The flight carried 148 passengers and six crew members, with no reported injuries, according to Richardson.
A Delta spokesperson told local station Denver7 that there was no report of the aircraft being struck by anything during the flight.
Subsequent flights were ultimately delayed due to the incident.
Passengers scheduled for the outbound Flight DL2362 from Denver to Salt Lake City experienced a 4.5-hour delay, according to Delta. The airline provided a replacement Airbus A319 to transport the affected customers.
September Mishaps
This event follows two recent incidents involving Delta Air Lines.
On Sept. 15, passengers on Flight 1203 from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, suffered bloody noses and ears due to a pressurization failure.
Caryn Allen, a passenger on that flight, recounted, “I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” she told NBC affiliate KSL-TV.
On Sept. 10, a Delta Airbus A350 bound for Tokyo clipped the tail of a smaller Endeavor Air plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Jason Adams, a passenger on the smaller aircraft, described the incident as “terrifying,” adding, “Very jarring, metal scraping sounds then loud bangs. We’re fine. No fire or smoke,” he said in a social media post.
“We apologize to our customers for the experience,” Delta said in a statement at the time.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating both September incidents. A spokesperson for the FAA didn’t immediately return a request for comment.