American Airlines faced a serious incident involving its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on October 17 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). This issue arose when a departing flight’s jet blast propelled a cargo container into the right engine of flight AA47, which had just arrived from London Heathrow.

Flight AA47 took off from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) at 12:47 PM local time. After a nine-hour journey, the flight landed at 3:53 PM, arriving 58 minutes late. While the aircraft taxied to gate M18, a powerful jetstream from an outbound Airbus A350 blew a cargo container into its engine.

As the American Airlines jet traveled along taxiway Bravo, it ingested the container into its right engine. This incident not only severely damaged the engine but also destroyed the container itself. Fortunately, no injuries occurred among the passengers or crew. Consequently, they quickly disembarked the aircraft after the event.

Following the incident, American Airlines grounded the aircraft for thorough inspection. Moreover, the airline’s maintenance team began evaluating the extent of the damage. Online discussions speculate about how the cargo container became loose. Observers noted that an airport vehicle, which connected between terminals 5 and 3, may have inadvertently dropped the container while crossing taxiways.

Aircraft engines possess powerful suction capabilities; thus, ingestion becomes a critical safety hazard. Additionally, objects entering the engine can compromise efficiency and damage crucial components like compressors and blades. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an investigation into how this container found its way into the engine of the American Airlines flight.

The aircraft involved, registered as N834AA, is a 6.7-year-old Boeing 787-9, delivered to American Airlines in February 2018. Typically, it operates between Chicago and Philadelphia and London Heathrow. However, it remains on the apron following this incident.

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