Passenger’s Vigilance Saves Lives: NYC-Bound Flight Cancelled Due to Missing Bolts on Plane Wing

This unexpected incident took place just moments before the flight’s scheduled departure from Manchester to New York.

Alert Passenger Saves the Day

On the 15th of January, Phil Hardy, a 41-year-old passenger on Virgin Atlantic flight VS127, made a startling discovery. 

Noticing that several bolts were missing from the wing of the aircraft, the concerned passenger quickly alerted a flight attendant. 

Despite the initial assurances from the flight crew that there was no safety risk, the transatlantic flight was canceled moments before take-off.

“I’m a good flyer, but my partner was not loving the information I was telling her and starting to panic, and I was trying to put her mind at rest as much as I could,” Hardy commented. 

“I thought it was best to mention it to a flight attendant to be on the safe side.”

Immediate Action by the Flight Crew

Following Hardy’s alert, engineers were swiftly called to the scene to address the issue. 

The technicians were seen on the plane’s wing, screwdriver in hand, as they attempted to rectify the situation. 

Despite the unsettling sight, flight staff continued to reassure Hardy and the rest of the passengers that there was no cause for alarm, a sentiment reiterated by Virgin Atlantic in a later statement.

Precautionary Maintenance Checks Lead to Flight Cancellation

Despite the assurances, the decision was made to cancel the flight to allow for “precautionary additional engineering maintenance checks.” 

This move was a safety measure providing the maintenance team sufficient time to carry out their inspections thoroughly.

The incident came on the heels of an alarming incident where a fuselage panel of an Alaska Airlines flight ripped off mid-air, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. 

This event heightened fears about aircraft safety among the public, further justifying the decision to cancel the flight.

Inspection and Repairs

Upon inspection, it was found that four of the wing panel’s 119 fasteners were missing. 

These were promptly replaced by the maintenance team. 

Virgin Atlantic confirmed that despite the missing fasteners, there was no impact on the “structural integrity of the wing or the ability of the Airbus A330-300 to operate safely.”

In a statement provided to ABC 7, Neil Firth, the Airbus Local Chief Wing Engineer for A330, clarified that the panel was a “secondary structure panel, used to improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.” 

He further reassured that there was “no impact to the structural integrity or load capability of the wing, and the aircraft was safe to operate.”

Virgin Atlantic’s Commitment to Safety

This incident highlights Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to passenger safety and willingness to cancel flights, even at the last moment, to ensure that every aspect of their aircraft is in perfect working condition. 

While the cancellation may have caused inconvenience, the airline’s dedication to safety is commendable.

The incident also underscores the important role passengers play in maintaining safety standards. 

Phil Hardy’s vigilance and decision to alert the flight crew potentially averted a serious incident, proving that when it comes to safety, we are all in it together.

As passengers, we should all strive to be as alert and mindful as Hardy, because, as this incident shows, sometimes, it is the passengers who are the first line of defense in air travel safety.

For Virgin Atlantic, it was a testament to their commitment to passenger safety above all else. 

Even though this event might have caused some inconvenience to passengers, it stands as an example of the airline’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure journey for all its passengers.