An American Airlines Boeing 737MAX was allegedly struck by a bullet and has since been taken out of service after engineers discovered what a spokesperson for the carrier described as a “puncture” to the exterior of the aircraft.
The damage was discovered after the aircraft had flown to Medellin International Airport in Colombia, although it remains unclear when the damage was actually caused.
Wow. I'm told bullet holes were found on AA aircraft in Medellin, Colombia Monday morning. N342SX (AA924 Monday)
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) February 24, 2026
The incident was first broken by trusted aviation insider JonNYC on X, who reported: “I’m told bullet holes were found on AA aircraft in Medellin, Colombia, Monday morning.
The aircraft is believed to be a two-year-old Boeing 737MAX (registration: N342SX), which flew from Miami to Medellin on Sunday evening and then returned to Miami on Monday morning as flight AA-924.
It’s believed that the damage was discovered in Miami, and the plane was then taken out of commercial passenger service. The airplane was, however, ‘ferried’ to AA’s hub in Dallas Fort Worth on Monday evening, where it has remained ever since.
Sounds like maybe right aileron impacted
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) February 24, 2026
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for American Airlines told us: “Following a routine inspection, our teams identified a puncture to the exterior of one of our aircraft in Medellín, Colombia.”
“The aircraft was immediately removed from service for further inspection and repair. We will work closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident.”
The airline confirmed that there were no reported injuries or flight-related issues.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told us earlier on Tuesday that the incident had not been reported to the agency.
In December 2024, American Airlines indefinitely suspended flights to Haiti after three US planes, including an American Airlines jet, were hit by bullets while taking off or landing at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
In one incident, on November 11, 2024, a Spirit Airlines flight attendant was injured as several bullets penetrated the cabin and lodged themselves in the sidewall and overhead bins as the Airbus A320 aircraft was on final approach for landing.
On the same day, an American Airlines flight from Port-au-Prince to Miami was struck by gunfire shortly after takeoff. The crew and passengers were not, however, aware of what had occurred, and the damage was only discovered after an extensive post-flight inspection.
A JetBlue flight to New York JFK was also hit by a bullet as it departed Haiti on November 11, and, again, the damage was only discovered after a post-flight inspection, prompted by what had occurred to the Spirit Airlines plane.
Just days after the multiple bullet strikes in Haiti, a Southwest Airlines plane was struck by a bullet while taxiing for departure at Dallas Love Field Airport.
Thankfully, none of the passengers or crew aboard the Boeing 737 were injured, and everyone deplaned safely once the airplane returned to the gate.
