Part of a wing flap of a Delta Air Lines plane that departed from Atlanta late Tuesday was later found on a driveway in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

That part came from a Delta Boeing 737-900ER that landed safely at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Atlanta-based Delta informed the FAA that an inspection after landing revealed the part — a portion of the left wing’s trailing edge flap — “was not in place,” according to Delta and the FAA.

Flight 3247 had flown from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Raleigh. There were 109 passengers and six crew members on board.

The FAA is investigating the incident.

“Delta is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will cooperate with investigations as nothing is more important than safety,” the airline said in a written statement.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is still experiencing the effects from Friday evening's storms. On Sunday, several flights were canceled. (AJC 2021)

Credit: TNS

Featured

The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC