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A PASSENGER plane was hit by gunfire as it tried to land in Haiti.
The Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was struck by bullets as it went to touch down Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
A flight attendant was injured as gangs sprayed the plane – which had come from Fort Lauderdale – with gunfire on Monday.
Footage circulating on social media appears to show a hole where a bullet entered the aircraft near the rear door.
Flight 951 was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic instead.
The air steward was checked over for minor injuries, and no passengers were harmed.
Spirit Airlines said the damaged plane has been taken out of commission.
Authorities at the airport were forced to ground all commercial flights.
Flight tracking showed passenger planes and cargo jets turning away from Haiti.
A second plane also came under fire just a short time later.
The JetBlue flight was about to take off from the tarmac and head to New York when gangs opened fire.
It arrived later than scheduled and a post-flight inspection revealed the aircraft’s exterior had been hit.
JetBlue has halted all flights to Haiti until December 2 while the shooting is investigated.
A spokesman said: “We are actively investigating this incident in collaboration with relevant authorities.”
Spirit said it had suspended flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, in Haiti’s north, “pending further evaluation.”
The passengers aboard the Spirit flight on Monday will be taken back in another aircraft to Fort Lauderdale, where the flight departed from.
Armed gangs in Haiti’s capital have shot at aircraft in recent weeks as the security situation deteriorates.
Last month, a UN helicopter was hit by gunfire over Port-au-Prince.
A Spirit Airlines plane. Stock picture[/caption]