The Incident:
Most pilots have a "mental list" of things they expect to find during a walkaround: a weeping strut, a loose fastener, maybe a fresh bird strike. But for the maintenance team in Miami this week, the discovery was a bit more... ballistic.
On February 23, 2026, American Airlines Flight 924 (N342SX) touched down at MIA after a standard 3-hour flight from Medellín, Colombia. It was an "uneventful" flight—the kind pilots love. No warnings, no vibrations, just a smooth cruise at FL360.
It was only after the passengers were gone that a sharp-eyed mechanic noticed a small, clean puncture on the right-hand aileron.
An American Airlines 737 lands in Florida
What exactly happened in Medellín?
While the investigation is still in its early stages, Colombian authorities believe the aircraft was struck by a stray round during its arrival or while on the ground at José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) the previous evening.
Key Takeaway: This likely wasn't an "attack" on the flight in the air. The aircraft is thought to have encountered a ground-level event near the airport perimeter that resulted in a stray projectile meeting the wing.
The Safety Win: Why No One Noticed
The ability of the aircraft to maintain normal flight characteristics despite the puncture is a result of not only the large size of the aircraft combined with the fact that a small arms round has very little mass despite how quickly it moves, but is also a result of the specific materials and mechanical redundancies inherent to the 737 MAX aileron system.
The ailerons on the 737 MAX 8 are carbon-graphite composite structures. Unlike traditional built-up metal surfaces, these components utilize a Nomex-based honeycomb core sandwiched between composite skins.
The projectile also notably did not strike any hydraulic components, electrical wiring, or control linkages, meaning the controllability of the aircraft was essentially left in-tact. Based on maintenance reports and technical briefings following the aircraft’s ferry flight to Dallas (DFW) this week, the damage was confined strictly to the composite skin and honeycomb core of the outboard trailing edge of the right aileron.
The Verified Technical Facts
Zero In-Flight Anomalies: The crew reported no "Hydraulic Low Pressure" lights or flight control "feel" issues. On a 737 MAX, a breach of a hydraulic line would have triggered an immediate cockpit alert for Hydraulic System A or B.
The "Clean" Puncture: Inspection at MIA and DFW confirmed the projectile passed through the carbon-fiber skin and Nomex honeycomb core. It did not intersect the Power Control Unit (PCU) manifolds or the steel control cables that run forward of the aileron's main spar.
Structural Integrity: Because the strike was in a non-primary load-bearing area of the control surface, the aileron maintained most of its aerodynamic profile and structural rigidity throughout the 3.5-hour flight at FL360.
The Final Verdict: System Integrity Maintained
An American Airlines Boeing 737 shortly after landing in Florida
The most critical takeaway for maintenance professionals and safety analysts is that despite the ballistic impact, the aircraft’s vital organs remained untouched. Follow-up inspections at American Airlines’ DFW maintenance hub confirmed that the projectile’s path was confined entirely to the outboard trailing edge of the aileron. Because the strike occurred aft of the primary spar, it bypassed the Power Control Units (PCUs), hydraulic actuators, and mechanical control cables. The aircraft successfully completed its 1,100-mile journey over the Caribbean with its hydraulic systems at full pressure and zero degradation in roll-authority—a testament to the high degree of system isolation engineered into the 737 airframe.
While the investigation into the source of the gunfire continues in Medellín, the technical story is already clear: a professional post-flight walkaround caught an "invisible" risk before it could ever become a safety-of-flight issue.
A Final Note
FlightApex is a digital resource for the modern aviator. We cut through the noise to deliver high-signal technical analysis, regulatory deep-dives, and proficiency-driven insights for pilots, owners, and maintainers. Whether you’re navigating a complex mechanical failure or a tricky FAA interpretation, our mission is to help you stay ahead of the airplane.
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