A passenger was left frightened after seeing part of the aircraft being disassembled right before takeoff.
Taylor Hylton, 26, from Dallas, was ready for her journey on an American Airlines flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, when she noticed workers removing part of the airplane wing and driving away.
"I initially thought, No way they're gonna let us take off with part of the plane missing,'" Hylton told Newsweek. "And then the safety demonstration started, and the flight attendant indicated that we were about to take off, and I immediately voiced my concern."
In a video she posted on TikTok, Hylton can be seen asking a flight attendant if they were about to take off and mentioning that part of the plane was missing. "The way I thought we were all about to die," she wrote in the video's text overlay.
Newsweek has contacted American Airlines for comment via email.
Hylton also shared clips of airport workers taking off a part that was attached to the wing of the plane and driving away with it.
"The pilot had informed the passengers that something was 'loose' and that maintenance was fixing it," she told Newsweek. "I assumed they were tightening some screws out there. When the entire plane part came off, I thought that seemed strange, so I flagged down a flight attendant during the safety demo."
She continued: "The flight attendant then shut off the safety demo after I voiced my concern. He asked for my phone so that he could show my video to the pilot. He said he would see what's going on.
"A few minutes later, the pilot came over the intercom and advised that there is no need for concern and that the detached plane part is for aerodynamic purposes and is not required to fly."
Guy Gratton, an associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, told Newsweek there were "systems for quickly approving (or confirming prohibition of) flight with parts faulty or missing, like this."
He said: "I would expect in this case that that happened—the airline's operations department will have obtained permission from the aircraft manufacturer to fly with that fairing removed.
"Looking at it, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that such an approval would be given—it's a non-structural aerodynamic fairing, and if expediency required a single flight without it, I don't think it would have endangered the flight, although would have increased fuel consumption a small amount."
Millions of people take domestic flights across the U.S. every year, according to Statista, which reported that more than 819 million passengers flew between U.S. destinations in 2023.
Viewers weighed in on Hylton's video, sharing what they would do if they were on her flight.
"If I overheard you say this I would immediately start panicking thinking about final destination," one wrote.
"Nah. I paid for the WHOLE plane. I need a refund for the part missing," another added.
One user commented, "The way I would of sat there too embarrassed to speak up."
Has a dream vacation turned into a nightmare? Whether it's a missed flight or lost luggage, we want to hear about your travel disasters. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
English (US) ·