Southwest Boeing 737 Max makes emergency landing at Orlando International Airport
ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A Southwest plane that was on its way to be grounded had to make an emergency landing at the Orlando International Airport on Tuesday.
A Southwest Boeing 737 Max 8 took off from Orlando International Airport at 2:50 p.m on Tuesday. Airport officials said that it experienced a malfunction and had to return to Orlando for an emergency landing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane experienced an engine problem.
Officials went on to say that there were only two passengers: a pilot and a co-pilot. The plane landed safely and the FAA is investigating.
The plane, Southwest Flight 8701, was being ferried to the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California to be grounded and stored, the FAA said. President Trump previously ordered that all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircrafts be grounded after one crashed in Nairobi, killing 157 people.
Six of those planes, including five Southwest planes, were grounded at the Orlando International Airport. Southwest says that they are committed to safety during this time. Southwest commented on the emergency landing as well. They stated that the Boeing 737 Max 8 will be moved to their Orlando maintenance facility for review.
More on the Boeing 737 Max
- Trump: US grounding Boeing 737 Max 8, 9 after Ethiopia crash
- Southwest Airlines responds to FAA order on Boeing aircraft
- Grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets causing problems at Orlando International Airport