The Boeing 737-300 in question was only 15 years old when its skin peeled open along a riveted lap-joint while flying above 34, 000 feet (just over 10, 000 metres) with 118 passengers on board.
As an emergency precaution, the Federal Aviation Administration has now said that carriers operating 737s with the same lap-joint design along the roof should inspect the planes after no more than 30, 000 cycles.