An American Airlines plane was found Monday with possible bullet holes in its exterior after making a flight from Medellin, Colombiain Miami.
The damage was discovered during a routine post-flight inspection of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Miami International Airport.
According to Airlive.netthe puncture marks resembled bullet holes and were found on the right wing of the plane.
American Airlines confirmed to FOX Business that the plane was impacted and is currently being inspected.
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An American Airlines plane heads toward a gate on January 11, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Following a routine inspection, our teams identified a puncture on the exterior of one of our aircraft in Medellín, Colombia,” the airline said.
“The aircraft was immediately removed from service for further inspection and repairs. We will work closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident.”
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Aerial view of the hill and Moravia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia, June 18, 2021. (JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The plane, registered N342SX, was first left Miami Sunday on flight AA923 bound for José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín, where he spent the night in Colombia, according to AirNavRadar.
The next morning, it made its return flight as flight AA924, landing in Miami around 10:33 a.m.
The flight went smoothly during its three-hour journey over the Caribbean, and no one was injured, the airline told FOX Business.
During inspection, maintenance crews noticed puncture marks on the right aileron, the part of the wing that controls roll and allows the plane to turn, Airlive.net reported.
Teleprinter Security Last Change Change % AAL AMERICAN AIR GROUP INC. 1:15 p.m. +0.22 +1.70% Although the cause of the possible shooting remains under investigation, the incident has raised concerns about security in Medellín. The city, now a popular and vibrant tourist destination, was known in the 1990s for its high levels of violence and drug crime.
Following this discovery, Miami Airport flight technicians carried out temporary structural repairs to stabilize the wing, Airlive.net said.
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American Airlines planes are seen at Miami International Airport on May 9, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
At 8 p.m., approximately 10 hours after landing in Miami, the plane departed on a non-commercial flight to American airlines’ main maintenance center at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
The aircraft currently remains grounded at DFW, where specialist engineers are able to evaluate the aircraft and determine if additional mechanisms have been impacted.
