An American Airlines flight returned to Charlotte after one engine failed to produce sufficient power

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An American Airlines flight bound for New York made an emergency return to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Friday evening, October 9, 2026, after experiencing an engine issue shortly after departure.

Flight AA1060 took off from CLT’s Runway 36, setting course for LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City. However, shortly after liftoff, the flight crew encountered a significant loss of performance from the left engine, which failed to generate sufficient power required to maintain a standard climb trajectory to cruise altitude.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 registered as N950NN, was unable to ascend past 4,700 feet.

Recognizing the technical issue, the pilots declared an emergency and requested an immediate return vector back to Charlotte Douglas International. In accordance with standard emergency protocols for engine performance issues, the flight crew requested Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) services to meet the aircraft upon arrival.

The plane turned back and executed a safe landing on Runway 1R at CLT, touching down just 19 minutes after takeoff. Emergency response personnel stood by as the aircraft cleared the runway. No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.

The aircraft was removed from service following the incident to undergo thorough maintenance inspections to determine the root cause of the engine power loss. It resumed operations the next day, performing flight AA2415 to Newark.

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