By Calvin Palmer
An American Airlines plane bound for Chicago made an emergency landing this morning after an engine failed shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
American Flight 309 was diverted to Kennedy Airport after the pilot reported engine problems.
The crew heard a loud noise just after takeoff, which Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said indicated the engine on the right wing of the Boeing MD- 80 had failed.
The plane, with 88 passengers and a crew of five, landed safely at 8:36 a.m., 21 minutes after takeoff. No one was injured.
The aircraft was inspected and pieces of metal were found embedded in its fuselage, Peters said.
Investigators later found about four dozen pieces of metal from the plane that had landed on a rooftop of a commercial building in the College Point neighborhood in Queens.
A police official also said a piece of the plane’s engine landed on a car in Queens and caused damage to the vehicle.
The debris was photographed and taken to LaGuardia for inspection.
The bulk of the plane’s engine remained attached to the right wing, said Peters.
The National Transportation Safety Board in Washington has been notified of the incident.
[Based on reports by newsday.com and The New York Times.]
