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Pilot finds hole in plane's fuselage

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Pilot finds hole in plane's fuselage; airline and FBI investigate

By Rich Phillips, CNN

March 29, 2011 -- Updated 0222 GMT (1022 HKT)

 

(CNN) -- A US Airways 737 pilot in Charlotte, North Carolina, discovered a small hole in the exterior of his plane's fuselage Monday, prompting the airline to take the plane out of service and for the FBI to begin an investigation.

 

"During a pre-flight inspection, one of our captains noticed a small hole in the fuselage," said US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder.

 

"Safety is paramount, so we took that aircraft out of service and our maintenance team is investigating," she said.

 

Wunder said that she had not seen the aircraft and could not characterize the size or shape of the hole, but said it was towards the rear of the aircraft.

 

Amy Thorseson, spokeswoman for the FBI in Charlotte, confirmed that the federal agency had an evidence team at the scene, but it was not immediately known what caused the hole in the plane.

 

The plane -- a 737-400 designated as flight 1161 from Philadelphia -- landed without incident at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport at about 4 p.m.

 

The plane holds 144 passengers, according to the US Airways website.

 

It was not immediately known how many people were aboard the aircraft, but all of the passengers were accommodated on other flights, according to a US Airways spokeswoman.

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Lightning strike ?

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could also be a rifle shot from the ground... perhaps that's why FBI are into it...

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Not lightning strike hole...it is a bullet hole and a slug was found inside the plane. FBI is now investigating whether it was shot in the air or after it landed.

article-1371132-0B63A7DF00000578-300_468x286.jpg

 

U.S. passenger jet found with hole in fuselage could have been SHOT while it was coming into land or after it landed

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 11:17 PM on 29th March 2011

 

The FBI has recovered a bullet from the rear right fuselage of a grounded US Airways flight.

 

The U.S. passenger plane was also found with a 'bullet-sized' hole near a passenger window, it was revealed earlier today.

 

The pilot of the US Airways 737, which had flown from Philadelphia to Charlotte, North Carolina, found the small hole during pre-flight checks, prompting an FBI investigation.

 

Some sources believe that the plane was hit when coming in to land at the airport, but there is no evidence as yet to back this up.

 

A government source told CNN that officials believe the bullet was fired in Charlotte after passengers had exited the aircraft.

 

Based on preliminary analysis, the bullet likely travelled about three-quarters of a mile and was losing velocity when it struck the plane in a downward and front-to-back trajectory.

 

This has prompted speculation that the jet may have been hit by a falling stray bullet.

 

It has not yet been confirmed that the hole on the exterior was caused by the bullet found in the fuselage but this is thought to be the most probable cause.

 

There is no evidence at this point the flight was targeted, according to CBS, and investigators have reviewed security footage.

 

Another government source told CNN: 'We do not believe it's terrorism related. It appears to be a random event. We do not believe the plane was targeted.'

 

According to US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder: 'During a pre-flight inspection, one of our captains noticed a small hole in the fuselage.

 

'Safety is paramount, so we took that aircraft out of service and our maintenance team is investigating.'

 

Bloomberg news reported Michelle Mohr, an airline spokesman, saying: 'To us, it looked like it could potentially be a bullet hole.

 

'That’s why we involved the authorities immediately.'

 

Amy Thoreson, an FBI spokeswoman in Charlotte, added: 'The hole extended from the jet’s skin into the cabin.

 

'We have a lot of physical territory to cover before we can find out how it happened, where it happened and when it happened.'

 

Fred Mirgle, retired chairman of the aviation maintenance department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, said: 'Shots have been fired at U.S. airliners in the past. It would be unusual for the crew or passengers not to notice if the plane were hit in flight.

 

'It almost sounds like it was shot on the ground or close to it, if it was shot.

 

'Any difficulty with the 737’s auxiliary power unit, which provides electricity when the plane is at the gate and is in the rear of the jet, would have been noticed by the pilots and it’s not likely any pieces from an engine would have hit that area.'

 

Flight 1161 from Philadelphia landed without incident at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport at about 4 pm.

 

According to the US Airways the plane had 84 passengers on board and five crew members.

 

FBI Agents are now interviewing passengers and are talking to maintenance crews who serviced the plane Sunday.

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just wondering out loud here... if a hole occurs during landing approach, would it not cause a sudden cabin pressure lost? or perhaps due to the almost equilibrium aircraft and atmospheric pressure, the puncture did not activate any alarms.

Must be very near landing strip to have fired a shot at the aircraft and yet it did not triggered any alarm.. still, its still a speculations..

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just wondering out loud here... if a hole occurs during landing approach, would it not cause a sudden cabin pressure lost? or perhaps due to the almost equilibrium aircraft and atmospheric pressure, the puncture did not activate any alarms.

Must be very near landing strip to have fired a shot at the aircraft and yet it did not triggered any alarm.. still, its still a speculations..

 

pressurization is a constant process, so such a small hole + low attitude (below 10k feet) would not cause the rapid decompression seen in movies.

 

the stray bullet seems plausible but then the hole is on the top of the plane ? a falling bullet would not have enough velocity to penetrate the fuselage, let alone a shotgun slug !

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