A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight looked out the window and saw something on the wing that is pretty much the last thing you want to see on the wing of a plane. A gremlin? No. OK. The second worst thing. He saw a hole in the wing. But not to worry because next to the hole was a handwritten note saying, “We know about this.”
I’m not sure the little note would bring me much comfort.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines says the plane was safe and there was nothing to worry about, according to news reports. There was an approved trim repair to the corner flap on the right wing. A maintenance technician wrote a note on the wing to let the flight crew know that it wasn’t a problem.
August 9, 2012 at 6:14 am
Most machines are designed so bits can be missing here or there, and the whole thing not fall apart. To me the "we know about this" would be immensely comforting.
August 9, 2012 at 4:36 pm
You'd be surprised at how much is "wrong" with most planes you fly. The airlines have publications called an MMEL and a CDL that is approved by the FAA that lets them know what write-ups they can fly with. For example, on a Gulfstream V, you can be missing one or both winglets (the outer portion of the wing) with some limitations in speed. Or a 747 can takeoff–without passengers–with one engine missing. If it takes off with all four and loses one on takeoff, the 747 crew is allowed to fly all the way to destination on the three remaining. This happened on a British Airways jet that lost on engine out of LAX and flew all the way to London