A U.S. bound passenger jet has been forced to return to Shannon Airport after the aircraft suffered a problem with an engine on departure.
American Airlines flight AA-89 took off at 11.35am and was bound for Philadelphia in the U.S. at the time. There were 146 passengers and crew on board.
Almost immediately after departure the crew of the Boeing 757-200 jet advised air traffic controllers that they had an issue and would need to return to the airport. The crew reported they were experiencing ‘low power’ with the jet’s right engine.
The crew levelled off at 5,000 feet and entered a holding pattern northeast of the airport to burn off fuel before commencing their approach to land.
Shortly after midday, the flight crew confirmed they would be returning to the airport for an ‘overweight landing’. It’s understood the crew did not declare an emergency.
As a result, airport fire and rescue crews, who had been on standby, were mobilised to holding points on taxiways adjacent to the runway.
The flight landed safely at 12.23pm and was pursued along the runway by emergency vehicles. The jet made a U-turn at the end of the runway was able to taxi to the terminal under its own power accompanied by fire crews.
Aircraft engineers were also waiting at the gate to investigate the issue however it’s not yet clear whether the flight will continue to Philadelphia today.
An airline spokesperson said: “Flight 89 to Philadelphia (PHL) returned to Shannon (SNN) shortly after takeoff due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and our maintenance team is currently evaluating the aircraft.”
