A screw sticking out of an airplane wing mid-flight has sparked a massive online debate after a viral TikTok video showed the unsettling sight. She films herself looking concerned before panning to the wing, where a small metallic screw is clearly protruding near the “NO STEP” markings. So, how worried should you be if you spot a loose screw on your next flight? A loose screw on a wing panel is a far cry from a structural failure, but when you’re 30,000 feet in the air, it’s hard not to imagine the worst. Even if a few screws come loose on a non-critical panel, the plane is designed to stay airworthy.