Repairs Needed, But No Safety Concern, American Says

During a routine inspection of dozens of American Airlines 737-800's, maintenance crews found scratches on the skins of three of the aircraft, causing them to be pulled from service. American says the damage appears to have been caused by jetway bridges passengers use to board the airplanes.

File Photo

According to the Associated Press, American says none of the damage was severe enough to cause any safety concerns, but the scratches were deeper than are allowed by Boeing guidelines. The scratches will have to be repaired before the airplanes can begin flying again.

American recently inspected 79 of their fleet of 737's, after the scratches showed up in other aircraft. That discovery "led us to believe there could be a pattern," according to American spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan.

Fagan did not say when American first noticed the problem, or when it first alerted the FAA that there might be an issue. She did say that notification came at the "appropriate" time.

Fagan said fewer than a dozen flights were affected by the problem.

FMI: www.aa.com