Tech Ops Come to Airplane’s Rescue During Historic Lubbock Blizzard

During the incredible snowstorm that capped off 2015, an American Airlines airplane made an emergency stop at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. With no on-site tech ops to be found, help came from surrounding areas to brave the extreme weather and fix the plane's failing engine.

Flight 295 landed at Preston Smith International Airport on December 23 on its way to L.A. due to engine problems. Since Lubbock's airport is an offline station, tech ops came in from Dallas, Phoenix and other nearby stations the day after Christmas, armed with their own tools to try and fix the plane's engine.

The team brought along a giant igloo-shaped inflatable work station with generators for light and heat to work on the engine without direct contact to the cold. They worked tirelessly for days during freezing temperatures and harsh blizzard conditions, but finally finished replacing the engine on December 30.

[via American Airlines press release]

Winter Snowstorm Pictures