Thai 747 Lands Safely After Damage Discovered

Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Authority says there was never really any danger when the crew on board Orient Thai Airlines Flight 261 spotted a hole in the wing of their 747-200 (file photo below).

It happened Thursday, about 15 minutes into the flight from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

"The aircraft didn't request any sort of assistance, but we took our own initiative to provide what we call a local stand-by ... the lightest level for [the] airport's emergency service," said Norman Lo, deputy director of the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department. "If there is anything wrong with the aircraft or if the aircraft has any handling difficulties, I'm sure the pilot would be requesting emergency landing and full emergency service."

The hole measured bout 31.5 inches by 39 inches and was spotted by crew and passengers while the aircraft was in flight. The hole was in the aircraft's left wing. It was located where a hatch cover should have been.

"Obviously, in this particular instance, there was no one injured, there were no handling difficulties. There was a panel missing from the wing, but there was no secondary damage," Lo said.

FMI: www.orient-thai.com