Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight were left horrified when part of the plane's wing appeared to break off mid-air - dangling loose as the aircraft made its descent.
The mid-flight scare has now prompted a federal investigation, raising fresh concerns about the safety of America's aging fleet and Boeing 737's ongoing troubles after a string of high-profile mechanical failures.
From their windows, travelers going to Austin, Texas, could see a jagged flap hanging by its hinges at the back of the wing, with a bright red piece of metal visibly twisting in the slipstream as the plane soared over fields and suburbs below.
Video shows the section flapping violently, as if it might snap off entirely.
Passenger Shanila Arif, who filmed the incident, said she first thought the shaking was turbulence - until another traveler pointed out the damage.
