An Ethiopian Airlines plane was forced to return to Lebanon after takeoff early on 17th June 2010 when crew noticed a door was rattling, a Beirut airport official has confirmed.
“The door had not been closed properly and some five minutes after takeoff, the pilot was able to return and land in Beirut safely and without having to signal an emergency,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The Boeing 737-800 – the same model as an Ethiopian Airlines jet which crashed off the Lebanese coast in January, killing all 90 on board – took off at around 4:30am (0130 GMT) bound for Addis Ababa.
“The flight was delayed another six hours before it was cleared for takeoff,” the official added.