Flight attendant injured as Spirit Airlines plane struck by gunfire

A Spirit Airlines plane was forced to divert its landing Monday after being struck by gunfire, an airline representative said.

Flight 951 departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bound for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, at 9:05 a.m. EST, according to flight tracking information. The flight arrived instead in Santiago, Dominican Republic, at 12:33 p.m. AST.

Upon the plane’s arrival, an inspection “revealed damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” the representative said. One flight attendant suffered minor injuries and is being treated by medical personnel.

No passengers aboard the plane were harmed, the airline said.

“The plane has been taken out of service, and we are arranging for a different aircraft to return our Guests and crew to FLL today,” it added. “The safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further evaluation.”

Photos of the supposed plane circulating on social media show the main cabin littered with bullet holes. The yellow exterior of the plane also appears to show several abrasions caused by the bullets.

Haiti’s international airport was temporarily shut down following the attack. Spirit temporarily suspended flights to Haiti in October after a United Nations helicopter was hit by gunfire and forced to land after leaving Port-au-Prince.

The incident adds to Spirit’s woes after a viral video taken last week captured a raccoon falling through a ceiling tile in the airline’s terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

“To ensure a positive experience for our LGA Guests, we immediately notified the facilities team and are addressing the matter with a professional wildlife control company,” the airline said of the incident.

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