Hole Opened In Fuselage About 30 Minutes Into Flight

The FAA and NTSB are looking into an incident last week in which a two-foot long hole opened up in the fuselage of an American Airlines Boeing 757 at about FL310, causing rapid cabin decompression and forcing an emergency landing at Miami International Airport.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that the airplane had departed Miami en route to Boston as Flight 1640. Witnesses on the plane said that there was "panic" in the cabin as the oxygen masks dropped down and the pilot put the plane in a steep descent. However, the aircraft landed safely back in Miami where the investigation began.

The FAA and NTSB have also increased inspections of some B757 models as a result of the incident.

The Wall Street Journal reports that some industry insiders say that cracks found last month in the fuselage of a similar airplane operated by United Continental Holdings could have led to the two-by-one foot hole which opened up above the airplanes left front cabin door of the American flight.

Boeing is reportedly working on a service bulletin to cover 757 models which have recorded 20,000 to 25,000 flights. The company said it is fully cooperating with the investigation. It is considered unusual because the aircraft in question is not considered to in the age range where metal fatigue from pressurization cycles is usually an issue.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov, www.boeing.com