Delta airliner leaves Midway following repairs
Passengers line up to board a second Delta Airlines' 747 that flew in to Midway Atoll from Japan with mechanics and parts to repair the first aircraft which had developed a major crack in a cockpit windshield during a flight from Honolulu to Osaka
A Delta Air Lines 747 that made an emergency landing on Midway Atoll Thursday flew off the island early this morning for Osaka, Japan after it was repaired.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Delta flew mechnics and parts to Midway Sunday and the plane left safely at 3:15 a.m.
Pilots noticed a major crack in the cockpit windshield during a flight from Honolulu to Osaka.
The 747 aircraft landed safely at Midway’s Henderson Field at about 5:40 p.m. Thursday with 359 passengers and 19 crew members aboard, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the airfield.
A replacement 747 arrived from Japan and flew the passengers to Japan at about 5 a.m. Friday, officials said. The takeoff took place before daybreak, when albatross and other birds there begin to fly.
However, Thursday’s landing took place when it was light and birds were active. The airliner hit two birds, one of which damaged a wing flap on the airliner.
