An American Airways airplane was discovered with an obvious bullet gap whereas in Colombia on Monday, based on sources conversant in the matter and paperwork reviewed by CBS Information.
The opening was situated in the suitable wing of a 737 MAX 8 plane after it flew from Miami, Florida, to Medellín on Sunday night as flight 923. After touchdown, the bottom crew reported a puncture “that extends all through the right-hand aileron,” paperwork reviewed by CBS Information stated. It is unclear when or the place the harm occurred.
Sources say the harm is in keeping with an obvious bullet strike. There may be an entry level that left a small spherical gap in a single aspect of the aileron in addition to harm on the seemingly exit level on the opposite aspect. The obvious bullet gap was first reported by airline blogger JonNYC on X.
An plane’s ailerons are essential flight management surfaces situated on the trailing edge of every wing. They generate the plane’s roll.
There have been no accidents and the airplane skilled no flight-related points, based on American Airways.
“Following a routine inspection, our groups recognized a puncture to the outside of one in every of our plane in Medellín, Colombia,” American Airways stated in a press release to CBS Information. “The plane was instantly faraway from service for additional inspection and restore. We’ll work intently with all related authorities to research this incident.”
Non permanent repairs had been made and the airplane operated as scheduled to Miami on Monday morning, based on flight monitoring knowledge from Flightradar24. It then remained in Florida for roughly 12 hours earlier than flying to Dallas and has not flown since.
The Civil Aviation Authority — the Colombian equal of the Federal Aviation Administration — advised CBS Information it had no details about the incident however was now investigating.
In 2024, Spirit, JetBlue and American had planes struck by gunfire whereas taking off or touchdown in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as gang violence surged within the capital metropolis. The FAA quickly halted air site visitors to Toussaint Louverture Worldwide Airport and main airways suspended service.
