A United Airlines Airbus jet had to turn around after a piece of its engine lining fell off during takeoff

• A United Airlines Airbus A320 flight bound for Denver had to turn back after takeoff.
• A piece of the engine's sound-dampening outer liner fell off, causing an "abnormal noise."

A United Airlines flight from Connecticut to Colorado had to turn back shortly after takeoff because a piece of its engine cover fell off.

The Airbus A320 returned to Bradley International Airport in Hartford at around 8:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Crew members heard an "abnormal noise" coming from the aircraft, after which the flight turned around, per the FAA.

A United spokesperson told Business Insider the flight returned to Bradley "to address an issue with one engine." They added that "a portion of the engine's sound-dampening outer liner was found on the runway."

The flight carried 124 passengers and five crew members, all of whom "deplaned normally" after reaching Hartford, the airline said in its statement.

The spokesperson added that United Airlines arranged alternative flights for the affected passengers to reach Denver.

While Boeing has faced issues with its manufacturing and quality control processes recently, most maintenance issues are handled by an airline once it has ownership of an aircraft

The A320 involved in the event is about 22 years old, registered N490UA.

The FAA has been reviewing United's safety after a string of incidents this year raised concerns, like a plane losing a tire on takeoff and another experiencing an engine failure over the Pacific.

The agency imposed restrictions on the carrier's growth but has since allowed it to add more routes and planes amid the review.

On Sunday, an Air New Zealand A320 flight faced severe turbulence, causing one passenger to be scalded by hot coffee and a crew member to hit the cabin ceiling.

And in April, an Austrian Airlines A320neo flight collided with a jet bridge and lost a big chunk of its tail. Its right horizontal stabilizer, a crucial part of its tail, was completely torn off.

Airbus didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider made outside normal working hours.

Correction: June 21, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the timing of the United Airlines flight. The FAA said it returned to Bradley International Airport at about 8:45 a.m., not that it left the airport at that time. The story also misstated when the Air New Zealand A230 flight faced severe turbulence. It was Sunday, not Tuesday.