SOUTHWEST Airlines said one of its Boeing 737 jets was forced to make an emergency landing near Charlestown, West Virginia yesterday, after passengers discovered a hole in the plane's fuselage.
The football-sized hole appeared during a flight from Nashville to Baltimore prompting the cabin to depressurize and forcing the plane to land.
The aircraft cabin depressurized approximately 30 minutes into the flight, activating the passengers' onboard oxygen masks throughout the cabin.
According to initial crew reports, the depressurization appears to be related to a small-sized hole located approximately mid-cabin, near the top of the aircraft.
The airline said it inspected all its 737-300s overnight as a precaution. Nothing was found.
Southwest Airlines is refunding the roundtrip fare for the affected passengers.
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