Plane engine sucks cargo container at Chicago airport in scary incident

An American Airlines flight sucked a cargo container into its right engine while taxiing to its gate at the Chicago airport. Flight 47 was travelling from London Heathrow to Chicago and the incident happened on Taxiway Bravo after it arrived at around 3 pm.

The container ingestion led to the engine being severely damaged. However, it did not cause any injuries. Emergency personnel reached the scene and the aircraft was then towed to the gate. Passengers and crew deboarded the flight at Terminal 5.

Reports suggest that the container was supposedly a regular vessel used to transport luggage or cargo, also known as an AKE ULD (Unit Load Device).

The exact reason for the container being sucked in by the enging is not clear. However, a passenger reportedly quoted the crew as telling them that another vehicle drove between the American Airlines flight and another aircraft. This resulted in a jet blast that displaced several containers, one of which was ingested by the plane's engine.

According to the aviation watchdog JonNYC, the other aircraft nearby was Air France Flight 136 which was also taxiing at the same time.

The luggage container is said to have been empty, avoiding a bigger disaster. The incident led to moderate disruptions in services.

Airplane taken out of service

Informing about the incident, an American Airlines spokesperson said that the plane has been taken out of service.

"After safely landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), American Airlines flight 47, with service from London-Heathrow (LHR), reported damage to its engine while taxiing to the gate at ORD," they said.

"The aircraft has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. Safety is our top priority, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."

The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Chicago Department of Aviation.