Cargolux Finds Bullet Hole in Freighter

All-cargo carrier Cargolux has grounded a Boeing 747-400 freighter after maintenance staff detected a bullet hole in its fuselage.

The Luxembourg-based airline said the hole was founding during a maintenance A-check after it returned from a charter flight to West Africa.

“It has been established that the hole was caused by a bullet. There is no evidence that the aircraft was targeted, but that cannot be ruled out,” Cargolux said.

The hole, in an unpressurized area on the left side near the rear of the plane, did not endanger the safety of the crew at any time, the carrier said.

The aircraft flew July 4 from Luxembourg to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, then Accra, Ghana, and on to Abuja, Nigeria, before returning to its home base on July 5.

Cargolux is Europe’s largest all-cargo carrier with a fleet of 16 747-400 freighters.

--Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.