Sunday, May 18, 2008

Hawaii-bound flight turns back after vibrations





Hawaiian Airlines Flight 29 is seen Friday, May 16 2008, after returning to Sea-Tac Airport.


Story Published: May 16, 2008 at 2:55 PM PDT



By KOMO Staff


SEA-TAC - A Hawaiian Airlines flight headed from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Maui turned around and came back Friday after experiencing unusual vibrations and a loose wing panel, officials said.

Repair crews later found that nine rivets had popped off a nonstructural panel that gives access to the inside of the wing. Others were found to be loose.

An airline spokesman said there was no danger to the plane, a Boeing 767, nor was there any threat to the passengers. But the plane returned as a precautionary measure, due to the length of the flight over open ocean.

Technicians still have not determined how it happened, but the airline described the problem as "highly unusual."

Hawaiian Flight 29 took off from Sea-Tac at 10:35 a.m. Friday. The plane turned around less than an hour into the flight, landing safely back at Sea-Tac at 12:07 p.m., records show.

One passenger on the flight told KOMO News that she could see rivets popping off the aircraft's wing during the flight.

Another passenger, Lynn Barton, said passengers could hear a "popping sound" and then the plane started to vibrate.

The plane's 245 passengers were removed from the plane after it returned to Sea-Tac, and crews are now making repairs to the aircraft, the Hawaiian Airlines spokesman said.

The flight has been rescheduled to take off at 11:45 p.m. in a different 767 aircraft. Hawaiian Airlines has offered hotel accommodations and a meal to all of the passengers during the wait.

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