Pieces From Airplane Rain Down On Austin

Federal investigators are looking into why several pieces of a plane fell from an American Airlines jet last weekend.

The jet was headed from Austin to D/FW International Airport when it reported engine problems at 4,000 feet.

On the ground below, small pieces from the plane rained down on an Austin car lot.

Witnesses said the quarter-sized pieces were red-hot when they hit a roof and smashed through a windshield.

A spokesperson for the Fort Worth-based airline said the planed had a contained engine failure and several pieces from the engine fell from the exhaust.

The plane landed immediately and was taken out of service.

There were no reported injuries from the engine failure.

Copyright 2006 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Aircraft Maintenance Technology" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.