Delta Plane Loses Part Of Its Wing During Flight

The wing of a domestic Delta Air Lines plane lost its panel while it was in the air on Sunday, forcing the plane to land at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, CNN reported. The plane and its 179 passengers landed safely at 7:30 p.m.

"Crew members aboard Flight 2412 reported an access panel had come off the plane's wing while in flight," Delta spokesman Anthony Black told CNN.

Delta investigators are currently working to determine why the Boeing 757, which took off from Orlando, Florida, lost a panel, leaving the wing's internal wiring in full view. Black told CNN the incident was "highly unusual," But "the problems with the wing did not affect the plane's ability to fly or operable change in flight."

The crew, knowing that, followed procedure by declaring an emergency to air traffic control as they were landing, which gave them priority clearance to land and alerted ground crews," Black told NBC News.

One passenger, David Watterson, told ABC News he was sleeping when he heard a loud bang.

"All the passengers were remarkably calm," Watterson said. Though he did not believe he was in danger, he said it was "concerning to see a big chunk of the plane missing," Watterson told ABC News.

The news comes four days after a tire blew out under the nose of a US Airways plane as it was about to take off from Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday. The front of the plane collapsed into the ground.

"The plane went up, came back down a little bit the first time, then didn't think much of it," Will Jager, a passenger on the plane, told CBS News. "Went up the second time, and then kind of felt loose and went straight back into the ground. Kind of sheer terror in everyone's eyes."

Two people of the plane's 149 passengers suffered minor injuries, CBS News reported.

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