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An American Airlines plane was found Monday with possible bullet holes on its exterior after completing a flight Medellin, Colombiato 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 punctures resembled bullet holes and were found on the right wing of the plane.
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An American Airlines plane taxied to a gate on January 11, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“Following a routine inspection, our teams identified a leak 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 Moravian Hill and neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia, on June 18, 2021. (JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The plane, registered N342SX, made its first departure from Miami on Sunday as flight AA923 to Medellín’s José María Córdova International Airport, where it spent an overnight stay in Colombia. AirNavRadar.
The next morning it completed its return journey as flight AA924, landing in Miami at approximately 10:33 am.
During the inspection, maintenance crews noticed punctures on the right aileron, the part of the wing that controls roll and allows the plane to turn, Airlive.net reported.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 13.15 | +0.22 |
+1.70% |
Although the cause of the possible gunfire remains under investigation, the incident has raised security concerns in Medellín. The city, now a popular and vibrant destination for tourists, was once notorious for high levels of violence and drug-related crime in the 1990s.
Following the discovery, flight technicians at the Miami airport made 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 8:00 PM, approximately 10 hours after landing in Miami, the aircraft departed again as a non-commercial flight to American Airlines’ main maintenance center at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
The aircraft currently remains on the ground at DFW, where specialized engineers can assess the aircraft and determine if additional mechanisms are in place.
