CHARLOTTE, N.C.—A gunshot fired from a pistol belonging to the pilot of a US Airways flight blasted a small hole through the plane’s cockpit wall.
Photographs of the damage were obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. They show a small entry hole in the lower side of the cockpit wall and a small exit hole on the plane’s exterior below the cockpit window.
The AP described the photos and the bullet hole to US Airways spokesman Phil Gee, who said “they sound authentic.”
Airline officials say the accidental discharge Saturday aboard Flight 1536 from Denver to Charlotte didn’t pose a danger to those on board. Gee says the plane would stay grounded at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport for several more days pending repairs.
Gee says the pilot has been taken off duty pending the investigation by the Transportation Security Administration.
