An American Airlines plane that landed in Miami after returning from Colombia was found to have bullet holes in one of its wings.
According to an AirLive report, the bullet holes were discovered during a routine post-flight inspection after flight AA923 arrived in Miami from Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Medellin.
“Pin marks” were discovered on the right aileron, a critical flight control surface responsible for the plane’s lateral balance, the server reported.
Despite the bullet holes, the plane flew safely and landed at Miami International Airport at 10:24 a.m. local time on Monday. It is unclear how many passengers were on board the plane, which seats more than 160 people, at the time.
How was the plane shot down?
It is currently unclear how the plane – a Boeing 737 MAX 8 – received bullet holes in its wing, while the origin of the shooting remains under investigation.
However, the discovery raised alarm bells over Medellín’s terrestrial environment and potential low-altitude safety risks from ground-based activity.
“The aircraft was immediately taken out of service for further inspection and repair. We will work closely with all appropriate authorities to investigate this incident,” American Airlines said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had no information to share about the incident, USA Today reported, adding that aviation authorities in Colombia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
what’s next
AirLive reported that American Airlines technicians performed temporary structural patches on the wing of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to stabilize it once the bullet holes were discovered.
Subsequently, on the night of February 23, the aircraft was moved to the American Airlines primary maintenance facility at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
As of February 24, the aircraft remained grounded at DFW, where specialized engineers performed a comprehensive evaluation to ensure all systems were functional and safe.
