>
The haunting photo of a randomly patched airplane wing leaves passengers terrified, before aviation experts offer a very simple explanation for the bizarre solution.
- Tape was seen stuck to the wing of an airplane
- The plane was leaving Melbourne airport.
- Tape was used to temporarily fix peeling paint
A haunting photo of an airplane wing that appears to have been randomly patched with silver duct tape is not what it seems with aviation experts offering a simple explanation as to why it was covered in shiny patches.
A passenger took a photo of the tape, known as speed tape, which had been taped to the wing of a plane flying out of Melbourne airport.
Despite the passenger’s fears, others were quick to assure the traveler, flying from Melbourne to Phuket, that the speed tape was merely on the wing to ensure peeling paint did not disrupt its aerodynamics.
Speed tape is common in the aviation industry and is used for minor repairs on aircraft, specifically peeling or flaking paint.
It’s a problem that has plagued Boeing 787s since they entered the market, and the planemaker recently introduced a new type of paint to ensure it stops happening.
A passenger had taken a photo of the tape, known as speed tape, which had been taped to the wing of a plane flying out of Melbourne airport.
The tape used is an aluminum pressure sensitive tape that can withstand high speeds and does not pose any security risk.
American pilot and safety consultant John Nance said the tape was often used as a temporary measure to prevent further wear and tear.
“It’s not something that you would use to join two parts of the plane together,” he previously said. Traveler.
“Usually this is skin, but you don’t want anything to come off any more than it might have already started to come off.”
The Federal Aviation Administration also said in a statement that the speed tape was used “for temporary minor repairs to non-structural aircraft components.”
Peeling paint is common on the wings of Boeing 787 aircraft used by airlines around the world.
A Boeing spokesperson previously told the aviation publication Simple: “The stripping does not affect the structural integrity of the wing and does not affect the safety of flight.”
The airliner is also rolling out a new basecoat this year that will improve the longevity of the paint on the 787’s wings.
A similar photo surfaced in September of last year of what was believed to be a speed tape on the wing of a Qantas plane, however the airline did not confirm if it was one of its planes.