In a recent incident that prioritized passenger safety, a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for New York was cancelled after a passenger observed a potential safety hazard on the aircraft's wing.
Phil Hardy, a UK resident, was preparing for his first international holiday in 14 years with his partner Magdalena Bobusia when he noticed missing bolts on one of the plane's wings.
Hardy, who was attentive during the safety briefing, spotted the discrepancy and immediately reported it to the flight crew. Despite initial reassurances from Virgin Atlantic's engineer and crew that there was no issue with the wing, as reported by The Mirror, Hardy's persistence led to further inspections.
"I could see all the fixings on the wing, they were all white, and I could see the crossheads on the screws, and then there were just four that were black," Hardy explained to The Mirror. His partner, who was already apprehensive about flying, grew increasingly anxious upon learning of the potential wing problem.
The flight, designated as VS127 and destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport, was subsequently cancelled, and all passengers were asked to deplane. Virgin Atlantic's inspection team discovered that four of the 119 fasteners on the wing panel were missing their caps. The fasteners were promptly replaced with new ones to address the issue.
A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic commented on the incident, telling FOX Business that the flight was cancelled to allow time for precautionary additional engineering checks.
The spokesperson emphasized that the safety of customers and crew is always the airline's top priority and assured that safety was not compromised at any point during this incident. The aircraft has since been returned to service, adhering to industry safety standards.
