A passenger on an American Airlines flight started to panic after she saw part of the plane removed and taken away as the jet prepared for take-off.
Taylor Hylton, 26, was flying from Dallas to California in October when she noticed, from inside the aircraft, there was a part of the plane missing.
Panic ensued as she videoed the workers taking a piece off of the aircraft who then drove away with it.
Hylton alerted a flight attendant and asked: ‘I’m sorry, are we about to take off? There’s a part of the plane missing.’
Taylor Hylton, 26, was left panicked after witnessing workers remove a piece of fairing from the aircraft as it was about to fly from Dallas to California
Hylton alerted a flight attendant that a piece of the plane was missing, while she and other passengers grew concerned
Her video shows captions on screen which read: ‘The way I thought we were all about to die.’
Hylton could then be heard telling the flight attendant that ‘part of the plane was not attached’ and that the workers ‘drove away with it’.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Hylton said: ‘I realized wait a minute, they just drove away with it. They’re not putting it back on.’
She said that others around her also looked concerned, including a flight attendant who showed the pilot the video Hylton took of the missing part.
The pilot then spoke to the aircraft over the intercom and said that some ‘screws were loose’ and the missing part was for ‘aerodynamic purposes’ and ‘not required’ for a safe flight.
The part of the plane they had unscrewed is a piece of fairing, which helps reduce drag and enhance the aircraft’s efficiency during flight.
The pilot assured everyone onboard that the piece was removed because of loose screws, according to Hylton, and the plane would fly safely without the piece of the aircraft
‘The panic I would have had watching this while in my seat on the plane… final destination type stuff…,’ wrote one commenter
After witnessing part of the aircraft being taken away the pilot’s words calmed her panic, and she told the outlet she was able to relax for the remainder of the flight.
Many commenters understood why Hylton panicked and flagged down someone to look into the matter.
One wrote: ‘I don’t buy the whole “optional” thing. This isn’t a LEGO plane – I need ALL the parts assembled before take off!’
‘The panic I would have had watching this while in my seat on the plane… final destination type stuff…,’ said one.
‘Honestly good for you for actually saying something…better to mention it and it be nothing than not to say anything and it’s a problem,’ another wrote.