Bullet strikes Southwest Airlines plane as it prepares to depart from Dallas airport
By Paradise Afshar, CNN
(CNN) — Dallas police are investigating after a Southwest Airlines flight was struck by a bullet as it was preparing to depart from Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas Friday evening, authorities said.
The bullet apparently struck the right side of the plane just under the flight deck as the plane was taxiing for takeoff from Dallas to Indianapolis just before 10 p.m., according to Southwest Airlines.
No injuries were reported and the flight safely returned to the gate, where passengers deplaned, according to authorities.
“Southwest will accommodate our customers on another flight,” the airline said. “Law enforcement authorities have been notified and the plane has been removed from service.”
It’s unclear where the gunfire originated from or if the plane was the intended target. No arrests had been announced as of early Saturday.
The Dallas Police Department told CNN responding officers arrived to find the aircraft had been hit by gunfire, and an investigation is now underway.
The Boeing 737-800 plane sustained damage after the bullet struck “near the cockpit,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Meanwhile, the runway it was taking off from reopened after it temporarily closed Friday night while police carried out their investigation.
“There was minimal impact on airport operations,” the airport said in a statement posted on X.
Also on Friday, travelers on another Southwest Airlines flight in Denver had to evacuate after a passenger’s cell phone battery caught on fire and caused an airplane seat to catch fire.
The incident comes days after regulators grounded all flights to Haiti for a month after three jets from US-based airlines were struck by bullets while flying over Port-au-Prince.
It also comes about two years after a woman allegedly fired several gunshots into the air at Dallas Love Field Airport, sparking chaos as travelers fled. Dallas Love Field Airport is located about 6 miles northwest of downtown Dallas and primarily serves Southwest Airlines, its website states.
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