A post-flight inspection revealed a missing panel on an older Boeing 737-800 that had just arrived at its southern Oregon destination Friday after taking off from San Francisco, officials said, the latest in a series of recent incidents involving planes manufactured by the company. .
United Flight 433 took off from San Francisco at 10:20 a.m. and landed at Rogue Valley Medford International Airport in Medford just before noon, according to FlightAware. Airport director Amber Judd said the plane landed safely and without incident, and the outer panel was found missing during a post-flight inspection. No injuries were reported.
The airport suspended operations to check the runway and airfield for debris, but nothing was found, Judd said.
Judd said she believes the missing panel was noticed by ground crew or United pilots conducting a routine check before the next flight.
A United Airlines spokesman said in an email that there were 139 passengers and six crew members on board the plane and no emergency was declared because there were no signs of damage during the flight.
“After the aircraft was parked at the gate, an exterior panel was discovered to be missing,” a United spokesman said. “We will conduct a thorough inspection of the aircraft and carry out any necessary repairs before it returns to service. We will also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
The Federal Aviation Administration also said it would investigate.
United said the missing panel was located at the bottom of the plane, where the wing meets the body, near the landing gear.
The plane made its first flight in April 1998 and was transferred to Continental Airlines in December of that year, according to the FAA. United Airlines has operated it since November 30, 2011. This is the 737-824, part of the 737-800 series, which was the predecessor to the Max.
Boeing also said in an email that it would defer United’s comments on the carrier’s fleet and operations.
In January, the panel covering the space disappeared under an additional emergency door. Boeing Max 9 exploded in the air just minutes after the Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland, leaving a gaping hole and forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. There were no serious injuries.
The door stopper was after all found it in the backyard high school physics teacher in southwest Portland, as well as other plane wreckage scattered nearby. The Ministry of Justice launched crime investigation.
March, 6, Smoke detected in Boeing 737-800 cabin An Alaska Airlines flight bound for Phoenix forced pilots to return to Portland Airport.
The Port of Portland said passengers and crew noticed smoke and the plane landed safely. Seven people, including passengers and crew members, sought medical attention but no one was hospitalized, officials said.
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Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington.