After landing at Medellín airport in Colombia, damage was discovered on an American Airlines plane. This looks suspiciously like a bullet hole.
Feb 26, 2026, 11:23Feb 26, 2026, 11:23
Anna-Lena Janzen / t-online
A suspected bullet hole was discovered on a US passenger plane after landing in Colombia. Ground staff at Medellín airport discovered the damage to the right wing of the American Airlines plane, as US media reported on Tuesday (local time), citing the airline.
An American Airlines plane lands at Miami International Airport. (symbol image)Image: keystone
The damage, which extended “through the entire right aileron,” looked like a bullet, CBS News quoted investigative documents available to it. The ailerons are located on the trailing edge of the wings and are important for control.
Accordingly, a small, round hole was identified as a possible entry point for a bullet, as well as damage to the presumed exit point on the opposite side. It was unclear when or where exactly the damage occurred.
Plane returns to US after repairs
Coming from Miami in Florida, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 landed in Medellín in northwest Colombia on Sunday. The airline confirmed the damage to US media as a “hole in the outer skin” of the aircraft. There were no injuries. The machine was immediately taken out of service for inspection and repair.
An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8.Image: EPA/EPA
According to the reports, the plane made its return flight to Miami the next morning as planned. According to ABC News, Colombia’s aviation regulator is investigating the case.
Similar incidents occurred in 2024, when Spirit, JetBlue and American Airlines planes were shot at while taking off or landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At that time, gang violence in the country’s capital had escalated. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) had temporarily suspended flights to Toussaint Louverture International Airport.