Holes Spotted on the Bottom of SIA Cargo Plane That Could’ve Been Caused by Stones

Aircrafts helped people travel across different countries easily.

But at the same time, the skies can be a harsh environment to be in.

The difference in air pressure means that, without the protection of aircraft pressurisation systems, the cabin will pop like a balloon when flying above 10,000 feet.

So what happens when you hear about holes in an aircraft?

The worst-case scenario, probably.

Holes Spotted On The Bottom of Singapore Airlines (SIA) Cargo Plane

On 1 Mar 2021, it was reported that a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cargo plane had to undergo repairs after holes were found in the bottom of the aircraft.

The plane, a Boeing 747-400 freighter operating the SQ7951 service from Dallas to Brussels took off without issues.

However, when it landed, a “post-flight inspection” found the damage on the plane’s body.

The crew had performed a visual sight inspection before takeoff according to the procedure, SIA said.

It was added that an investigation into the incident is being carried out.

“Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the damage. The aircraft is undergoing repairs at Brussels and will return to Singapore after the repairs have been completed.”

A Rocky Landing

According to images posted by The Aviation Herald, multiple holes were seen punctured into the bottom of the plane.

A rock could be seen stuck in one of the holes.

Initial information revealed that a truck with rocks was on the runway carrying out maintenance work and that stones could’ve dropped from the truck.

It was suggested that when the plane landed on the runway, the dropped debris might’ve been thrown onto the aircraft’s body by the landing wheels.

Lesson To Be Taken From This

If you’re worried about flying after reading this article, don’t be.

After all, while this incident highlighted that the dangers of flying still exists, it also showcases the stringent precautions taken before and after the flight.

In the wake of COVID-19, SIA cargo load has increased with the demand for pharmaceutical and e-commerce shipments.

SIA now operates a fleet of seven Boeing 747-400 cargo planes which were used to fly the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to Singapore from Brussels.

More passenger flights have been resumed by the airline as well, and SIA increased the frequency of cargo-only passenger flights.

Previously, it was also reported that SIA is continuing to retrofit its A380 aeroplanes to make the best of a bad situation.

You can read more about it here.

Feature Image: SpaceKris / Shutterstock.com (Image for illustration purpose only)