Passenger Describes Bullets Hitting Plane Above Haiti

It turns out that two passenger planes were struck by gunfire over Haiti on Monday—first, a Spirit Airlines jet, and then a second from JetBlue. Not surprisingly, both airlines have canceled flights to and from the country for the time being, reports Reuters. American Airlines has done the same. Authorities blame gangs for deliberately shooting at the planes near the international airport in the capital of Port-au-Prince, per the AP. The violence comes as the nation descends further into gang violence amid political turmoil.

• Spirit Airlines: The aircraft en route from Florida was peppered with bullets as it attempted to land in Port-au-Prince, forcing it to divert to the Dominican Republic. A flight attendant suffered what were described as minor injuries. No passengers were hurt.
• JetBlue: Initially, the flight from Haiti to JFK in New York reported no trouble, but a post-flight inspection revealed its exterior had been struck by a bullet, reports the New York Times.
• The blame: The incidents appeared to be part of what the US Embassy called "gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports." Gangs are known to be active around the airport.
• On board: "We could hear 'clack, clack, clack'—the metal inside the plane and the plastic just cracking," Spirit Airlines passenger Jean-David Desrouleaux tells the Miami Herald. "A few of us understood what was happening." The plane was about a mile from Toussaint Louverture International Airport when struck.

(More Haiti stories.)