The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation after a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900 operating Flight 3247 from Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham lost part of its left wing’s trailing-edge flap during Tuesday night’s flight. The crew, carrying 109 passengers and six cabin members, completed the trip and landed safely at 1:15 a.m. local time on 2 July without noticing the missing component. Early Wednesday, a Raleigh homeowner discovered the several-feet-long metal piece blocking a driveway in a densely populated neighborhood. Local police alerted federal officials, and the FAA later confirmed the debris came from the Delta jet. No injuries or property damage were reported. Delta said it is “fully supporting retrieval efforts” and will cooperate with regulators, adding that passenger safety remains the carrier’s top priority. The incident, which follows other recent quality concerns across parts of the Boeing 737 fleet, is likely to draw additional scrutiny to aircraft maintenance and inspection practices while the FAA conducts its inquiry into how the flap detached mid-flight.