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Possible sabotage on two USAir planes
Edited for brevity.Puncture holes were found in the bellies of two US Airways jets at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, which the FBI said was not likely caused by normal wear and tear. Officials said the punctures discovered Monday morning during routine visual inspections are similar to damage recently found on another US Airways jet in Florida. No passengers were in the planes, which were temporarily grounded for repairs. The two planes found damaged Monday, a Boeing 737 and an Airbus 321, had come from Pensacola, Fla., and Pittsburgh. US Airways, Charlotte's dominant carrier, said the planes had punctures about the same size as holes a screwdriver would make. Airline spokesman David Castelveter characterized it as minor exterior damage. Such puncture holes likely would not endanger a plane or its passengers, aviation security experts said. They also pointed out Monday's grounding of the two planes proves the safety checks in place work: the damaged planes did not fly. The article goes on to speculate that disgruntled employees may have done this. USAir has been teetering on bankruptcy and within the past week received approval to cut union workers' pay around 21%. Most USAir employees I know here in the Pittsburgh area, which was a USAir hub but downgraded in the past year, aren't exactly thrilled about their prospects. Posted by: Dar 2004-10-20 |
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