A United Airlines Airbus A320-200 operating out of Hartford, CT made a precautionary return to the airport after reporting potential foreign object damage on 20 June 2024.
United airlines flight UA325, an Airbus A320-200 operating a service to Denver, CO terminated its climb shortly after departure from Hartford Bradley International Airport (BDL).
United Airlines UA325 Hartford-Denver
Flight crew reported suspected damage, possibly from debris on the departure runway during its takeoff.
The operating crew terminate the climb procedure not long after departure and entered a series of holds.
According to the online source the Aviation Herald, the United crew reported detecting a light popping sound following rotation.
This was suspected as being potential tyre damage or a possible bird strike. The crew reported that the engine readouts continued to be normal.
Return to BDL
Flight data shows that the aircraft terminated its climb at 4000 feet, maintaining this altitude during holding procedures in the proximity of the airport.
As a precautionary measure, the flight crew elected to return to the origin airport. Due to weight considerations, they remained in a series of holding procedures to burn off fuel.
The aircraft made an uneventful landing on runway 29, just under an hour after the initial flight departure.
United Airlines subsequently reported that the aircraft had lost a portion of the engine sound dampening inner liner at some stage during the takeoff procedure.
According to an FAA statement following the incident, the postflight inspection confirmed the separation of the right-hand engine cowling.
A runway inspection subsequently confirmed the finding of large pieces of metallic debris. The aircraft reportedly shed further metallic debris during its subsequent landing.
The aircraft conducting the UA325 regional service to Denver International Airport (DEN) was an Airbus A320-200, registered N490UA. This is a 22.4 year old narrowbody aircraft belonging to the US carrier United Airlines.
The aircraft has been in operational service with the airline since its original delivery in April 2002.
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