Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Flight 1067 from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to Atlanta was forced to return and land safely Sunday evening after the crew reported losing the jet’s left engine shortly after its 6:45 p.m. takeoff. The Federal Aviation Administration said the engine failure ignited a grass fire alongside the runway, prompting responses from Garden City Fire Rescue, Savannah Fire, Pooler Fire-Rescue and the 165th Airlift Wing Fire Department. According to air-traffic control audio captured on Broadcastify, a controller reported seeing a 'pretty large flame' on departure and the pilot replied, 'We lost left engine straight out here for Delta 1067.' All 179 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants deplaned normally at the gate with no injuries reported, and Delta later used a replacement aircraft to complete the trip to Atlanta. The FAA has opened an investigation into the mechanical failure, an inquiry that will feed into ongoing concerns about the reliability and maintenance of heavily used domestic fleets, especially during winter weather disruptions that already have many U.S. flights operating under strain.