Bullet hits Southwest Airlines plane just before planned takeoff at Dallas airport
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A bullet was fired at and hit a Southwest Airlines airplane preparing for departure from a Dallasairport on Friday night.
The incident forced the cancellation of the Friday evening flight, the airline confirmed.
Passengers were safely deplaned after the aircraft sustained damage, the airport said in a statement without identifying the airline.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the Southwest plane was a Boeing 737-800 and sustained damage after the bullet struck “near the cockpit.”
No injuries were reported and law enforcement was contacted after the bullet struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck. At the time, the crew of Flight 2494 was preparing the plane for departure from Dallas Love Field Airport, Southwest said in a statement.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was “struck by gunfire near the cockpit” around 8:30 p.m. while taxiing before the flight to Indianapolis International Airport. The plane returned to the gate and the passengers exited, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The aircraft was removed from service, according to the airline, which said it would provide another flight for the passengers.
Dallas Love Field Airport said in a social media post that the Dallas Police Department responded and runway 13R/31L was closed, but reponed later Friday night with “minimal impact” on the facility’s operations.
“Southwest Airlines Flight 2494 was set to depart for Indianapolis when a bullet apparently struck the right side of the plane, just below the flight deck, as the crew was preparing for takeoff,” a Southwest spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
“No injuries were reported. Law enforcement authorities have been notified and the plane has been removed from service.”
