Italian investigators are probing an incident in which a Norwegian Boeing 787-8 appears to have shed engine parts shortly after take-off from Rome Fiumicino.
The aircraft – powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines – was operating flight DY7115 to Los Angeles on 10 August.
Norwegian says it suffered a "technical problem" a few minutes after the departure. The flight took off from runway 16R at around 16:45, a course which took it over the town of Fiumicino just south of the airport.
While Norwegian did not specify the nature of the problem, unverified photographs circulating on social media purport to show metallic fragments collected by local citizens as well as damage to car windows claimed to have resulted from falling parts.
Norwegian says the twinjet returned to the airport and landed "in complete safety". It touched down around 25min after departure.
The airline says 298 passengers were on board along with three pilots and nine cabin crew members.
FlightGlobal has identified the 787-8 involved as LN-LND, which Cirium Fleets Analyzer lists as a 2014 airframe.
Italian investigation authority ANSV confirms that "engine problems" were the reason for the aircraft's return to the airport. It says it has opened a safety probe into the "serious" incident.
Norwegian says it is "collaborating" with airport operator Aeroporti di Roma and other authorities over the event.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
