Passengers on an American Airlines flight bound for Dallas, TX., from San Francisco, CA., got quite a scare when they heard popping and cracking sounds coming from the paneling around the windows; the scare turned to terror as the panels begin to buckle - exposing insulation and the inside of the fuselage skin. The cabin did not lose pressure and none of the crew or passengers suffered any injuries.

The flight crew members were ‘pulling the panels apart and looking for daylight behind there' according to one passenger.

American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said the cause of the incident is being investigated as a possible blown air duct, according to the Daily Mail.

He said the cabin did not lose pressure and oxygen masks did not deploy.



Robert Ditchey, an aeronautical engineer, told AP that cabin wall panels are not part of the plane’s structure and have ‘no meaning to the safety of the plane structure.’

The plane has been taken out of service while it undergoes inspections and repairs.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said it will work with American Airlines to identify and correct the problem before the aircraft flies again.

I suppose the carry-on bag fee will be increased to offset the repair cost...