An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 was found with a perforation on its right wing's aileron after arriving in Miami from Medellín, Colombia, on Monday. The damage, which appeared consistent with a bullet hole, was discovered during a routine post-flight inspection at Miami International Airport.
The aircraft operating as Flight AA923 had landed safely. The flight crew reported no abnormalities during the journey, and no injuries or operational issues occurred on board.
American Airlines confirmed the damage and removed the aircraft from service immediately. "We will work closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident," the airline said in a statement to CBS News.
Ailerons are hinged control surfaces on the outer edges of each wing that help pilots roll or bank the aircraft by deflecting in opposite directions to create uneven lift.
Maintenance crews applied temporary structural patches to the wing in Miami. The jet was then flown without passengers to the airline's maintenance hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on a repositioning flight designated AA1813. As of February 24, the aircraft remained grounded while engineers examined it for potential secondary damage to internal systems, including wiring and hydraulic lines.
Colombian authorities have opened an investigation into the origin of the apparent gunfire. Officials are examining whether the damage occurred on the ground near Medellín or at low altitude during flight. Aeronautical authorities from both Colombia and the United States are collaborating on the inquiry. Colombian officials said criminal group involvement has not been ruled out, though no conclusions have been reached.
Colombia's Civil Aeronautics Authority said it was aware of reports about an aircraft with perforations but had not been contacted by the airline or US authorities.
The flight path between Miami and Medellín crosses the Caribbean Sea, where the U.S. anti-drug trafficking Operation Lanza del Sur is currently active.
The incident follows similar cases from 2024 in which Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines aircraft were struck by gunfire in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The United States temporarily banned all civilian flights to Haiti for one month after those incidents. In a separate case that year, a Southwest Airlines plane was hit by a bullet near the cockpit while preparing for departure at Dallas Love Field. No injuries were reported.