Hole Discovered In Fuselage During Pre-Flight

A bullet was recovered from the fuselage of a USAirways B737 in Charlotte, NC, after a hole was found above a passenger window during a pre-flight inspection. Federal investigators are still trying to determine if the airplane was shot in flight, or after it landed. It has last flown from Philadelphia to Charlotte.

London's Daily Mail reports that ballistics experts say the bullet may have been a stray, and not fired intentionally at the aircraft. The bullet was apparently losing velocity after traveling about three-quarters of a mile when it struck the plane from above taking a front to back trajectory.

There is no hard evidence that the bullet found in the plane was the one that caused the hole in the fuselage, but authorities said that it was the most probable cause. There is also no evidence that the airplane was targeted, and terrorism does not seem to be involved. But the hole did extend all the way through the airplane's skin into the cabin area.

The investigation is focusing on the possibility that the airplane was struck near the ground, because authorities say the aircrew or passengers would have noticed had it been struck in flight. There were 84 passengers and 5 crew on board the flight from Philadelphia to Charlotte.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov