A friend sent me this picture. Pretty sure it's a Southwest 737. Is this a terrible thing or just a cover coming loose? And maybe even that's a terrible thing

Sixto
87 300D

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Give that it is a small portion of the plane and that there are no identifying marks what so ever, not to mention that I am not even sure what part of the plane we are looking at I am not sure how you can claim it is a SW plane unless you know something you are not sharing.

The only portions of a SW plane that are not painted according to the pictures I have seen are the horizontal flight surfaces. I see no color anywhere on the photo.

The airlines are having a difficult enough time as it is with out rumors being spread.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

I am going to take a wild guess that that is the little protrusion on the back of the wing that contains the flap actuator, and that is just a cover and not structural. Also, I can't really see that there is anything wrong with it but it is hard to tell. Looks like it was photographed from a window above the wing.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

The picture as sent to me was claimed to have been taken in the last couple of days by someone on a SWA flight from Phoenix to SFO. SWA only flies 737s...

The fellow who sent it to me has no reason to make up this story, and seems to trust his source.

Sixto
87 300D

Wouldn't surprise me if this was true. SWA recently got busted for not doing some required inspections, remember? I don't know what part of the airplane we're look at here, but it certainly doesn't inspire confidence.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Duct tape will fix it.

I'm waiting for our A&P members to chime in.

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-1983 VW Rabbit LS Diesel (5speed, VNT/Giles build)

Is that the engine pylon?

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Back in the days when you could see passengers off at the gates, I remember glancing out the windows at a United mechanic shining a flashlight up at the engine nacelle of a 747 that was heading out from HNL to SFO. The guy in the jumpsuit caught my eye and I watched as things unfolded.

After a few minutes of him staring up at the engine, shining the light, looking up some more, he walked away. Less than ten minutes later, he returns in the company of an older heavier set guy, also with a flashlight, but this other guy is in slacks and short sleeve white shirt and he's brought along a binder that must have been three or more inches thick.

Both of them are looking up, pointing and shining the flashlights, then looking at pages in the binder, pointing at the binder, then pointing up again at the engine a couple times. Finally, the guy in the white shirt checks the binder a final time, looks at the other guy and gives a shoulder shrug, slaps the binder closed and they both walk away from the plane.

I like to think that they knew I was watching.

ha!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

OH I hope not.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

And what do you like to think they wanted you to think?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I believe in the airline biz they call it speed tape.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

To me it looks like the rivets are all in place and some other screw(?) should be in the larger holes.
If it had been me looking at it, I think I'd have pointed it out to the crew and asked if it was ok. In the mid-80's a plane crashed on takeoff from Denver due to wing icing. I wonder if any passenger looked at the wing as the plane was taxiing and wondered if the ice on the wing was excessive but didn't say anything.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I think it will be okay as long as you keep that part away from high winds.