(Reuters) – American Airlines Co. said on Friday that a Boeing 737 MAX bound for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey declared an emergency after the captain shut down an engine due to a possible mechanical problem.
American Flight 2555 from Miami with 95 passengers and six crew landed safely in Newark without incident, the airline said.
The possible problem was related to an engine pressure or oil volume indicator and not the result of anything related to the MCAS system related to two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019 that caused the grounding of the ‘plane for 20 months, he said.
Boeing Co. said it was aware of the US flight and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would investigate.
American was the first U.S. carrier to resume 737 MAX flights late last year following Boeing’s FAA approval of safety updates.
When he left the plane to fly again, FAA administrator Steve Dickson said he was confident the jet was safe, but warned that mechanical problems in flight occur occasionally with all commercial aircraft.
“For this reason, it is inevitable that at some point in the future, a Boeing 737 MAX will return to its home airport, divert or land at its destination with a real or suspicious problem during the flight,” he said.
The FAA evaluates all events related to an American airline, he said at the time, adding: “It is very important to differentiate between these routine events that happen to any aircraft and the acute safety issues that led to the loss. of lives and the grounding of the MAX “.
According to FlightAware, the American received from Boeing the plane involved in the incident on Friday, December 30.
Report by David Shepardson and Tracy Rucinski; additional reports by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio