Delta Air Lines has launched an investigation after one of its Boeing 757-200’s sustained significant damage to its exterior upon a hard landing in Portugal’s Azores islands over the weekend.
No passengers were injured, according to The Sun. However, photos shared to social media showed damage to the plane’s fuselage and landing gear.
Despite the bumpy landing at Sao Miguel’s Ponta Delgada Airport, the plane was able to taxi and passengers disembarked without issue.
A passenger claiming to have been on the flight blamed “big crosswinds” for what they called the “hardest landing I’ve ever experienced,” The Sun reported. “Pilots and crew did a great job despite the circumstances.”
Hard landing this morning in Ponta Delgada (PDL), Azores – Boeing 757 Delta. https://t.co/ahc3WrstqI @JacdecNew @AviationSafety pic.twitter.com/m8rfbXCd4Q
— Aeronews (@AeronewsRO) August 18, 2019
The aircraft’s return flight was canceled and Delta confirmed it’s looking into the incident.
“Delta is currently investigating damage to the 757 aircraft that operated flight 414 from JFK to Ponta Delgada, Azores on Saturday,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “A replacement aircraft was dispatched to operate the return flight back to New York.”
Delta apologized to customers for the delay.
The incident came just three days after New York City’s JFK Airport last Thursday.
