FAA Probes Possible Plane Pieces That Fell From Sky In Dearborn Heights

ROMULUS (WWJ/AP) - The mystery behind metal objects the fell from the sky in metro Detroit has been all but solved.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the fragments found by residents in a Dearborn Heights neighborhood earlier this week are most likely parts of the engine of a Spirit Airlines jet.

The FAA said it's still investigating after the pieces were found in residential yards, not far from Detroit Metro Airport.

A Spirit Airlines flight from Detroit to Atlanta returned to the airport after experiencing engine failure Monday evening. The flight was able to land without incident, and pieces from the aircraft were initially thought to be contained to an airport runway.

One passenger on the flight told the Detroit Free Press in an email that the flight was "about 5,000" feet in the air when there was "a large bang and the plane started to shake and shutter." The passenger said the right engine was on fire, sparking and losing metal.

No injuries were reported.

The FAA says it's "interested in collecting these pieces so we can determine if they came from an aircraft, and if so, if they came from the same aircraft." FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the investigation could last several weeks.

An email requesting comment was sent to Miramar, Florida-based Spirit Airlines.

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