Sunday, July 7, 2024 On a recent Tuesday evening, a concerning situation unfolded for JetBlue when one of its Airbus A320s had to make an emergency return to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The plane was forced back due to the detection of Foreign Object Debris (FOD).
According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft has not resumed service and remains stationed at JFK. Operating a routine flight from JFK to West Palm Beach, the Airbus A320-200 (registration N507JT) had to abruptly return after taking off from runway 13R. At an altitude of 5,000 feet, air traffic control notified the pilots of debris visibly coming off the plane.
The crew made a swift decision to turn back and safely landed the aircraft on runway 22L around 30 minutes later. A subsequent flight by another JetBlue Airbus was instructed to check the runway for any signs of metal debris. Initially, no debris was spotted, but the crew later reported seeing two metal pieces near the runway’s edge lights.
Following this report, an extensive inspection of the runway area between taxiways L and M led to the discovery of three medium-sized metal fragments, confirming the seriousness of the situation. The plane involved in this incident, over 24 years old and delivered to JetBlue in June 2000, features 162 seats and is powered by V2500 engines from International Aero Engines. It has a history of service with Germany’s Blue Wings from 2006 to 2010 before rejoining JetBlue.
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