Bullet Holes On Wing! American Airlines Flight From Colombia's Medellin To Miami Found To Have 'Puncture'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) An American Airlines jet that landed in Miami after returning from Colombia has been found to have bullet holes in one of its wings.

According to a report by AirLive, the bullet holes were discovered during a routine post-flight inspection following flight AA923’s arrival in Miami from Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova International Airport.

The “puncture marks” were discovered on the right aileron, a critical flight control surface responsible for the aircraft’s lateral balance, the outlet reported.

Despite having bullet holes, the aircraft flew safely, landing at the Miami International Airport at 10.24 am on Monday local time. It remains unclear how many passengers were aboard the plane at the time, which can seat more than 160 people.

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As it stands, it is unclear how the aircraft - a Boeing 737 MAX 8 - got bullet holes on its wing, with the origin of the gunfire remaining under investigation.

However, the discovery has raised alarm bells over the ground environment in Medellin and potential low-altitude security risks stemming from ground activity.

“The aircraft was immediately removed from service for further inspection and repair. We will work closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident,” American Airlines said in a statement, as per the New York Post.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meanwhile, did not have any information to share about the incident, reported USA Today, adding that aviation authorities in Colombia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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AirLive reported that American Airlines technicians performed temporary structural patching to the wing of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to stabilize it as soon as the bullet holes were discovered.

Subsequently, on the night of February 23, the aircraft was moved to 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 were conducting comprehensive assessments to ensure all systems were functional and safe.

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