New York News: A Virgin Atlantic flight from Manchester to New York was canceled just before takeoff after a passenger reported a bolt missing from one of the plane’s wings.
According to the New York Post, a 41-year-old British passenger aboard flight VS127 on January 15 noticed four missing fasteners during a safety briefing and immediately informed the cabin crew. After he raised an alarm, engineers were immediately informed, who examined the plane.
Phil Hardy, the passenger who reported the missing bolt, told the Kennedy News Agency that when he received this information the crew While giving it to the member, his partner was not liking it. Phil Hardy further said – Keeping in mind the safe journey, I thought it appropriate to inform the crew member about this.
Information was received about four bolts missing
A spokesperson for aircraft manufacturer Virgin Atlantic told Fox Business News that the flight was ultimately canceled to give investigating engineers enough time to properly inspect the plane. According to Virgin Atlantic, the inspection team found that four of the 119 fasteners on the wing panels were missing bolts.
Plane makers Virgin Atlantic and Airbus both said the four bolts were missing. There was no danger to any passenger. There are 119 fasteners in each wing panel of the Airbus A330, out of which only four were missing. The structure of the wing has been made in such a way that missing four bolts does not affect it.
Chief Wing Engineer said the aircraft is safe to fly. “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority. This has not been compromised at any point. “We always operate above industry safety standards and the plane is now back in service,” a Virgin Atlantic representative said. Passengers were flown to New York on separate flights.
After this incident, passengers were sent from Manchester to New York on different flights. The incident comes days after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 faced an emergency on January 6. One of Max’s doors had opened into the air. The FAA has grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft pending a thorough inspection.