©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A Boeing logo is seen at the company’s technology and engineering center in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Gabriel Araujo/File Photo
By David Shepardson and Mrinmay Dey
(Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how a United Airlines (NYSE:) Boeing 737-800 lost an exterior panel before landing safely in Oregon on Friday.
United Flight 433 landed at Medford Airport around 1.45pm PDT (8.45pm GMT) with 139 passengers and six crew members on board after departing San Francisco, the FAA and the airline said.
The FAA said a post-landing aerial inspection of the 25-year-old plane revealed a missing panel. United also said it would investigate and that no emergency had been declared because there were no indications of damage during the flight.
“We will carry out a thorough examination of the aircraft and carry out any necessary repairs before it returns to service,” the airline said in a statement.
Boeing declined to comment, directing questions to United Airlines. According to FAA records, the plane was built in late 1998.
The Rogue Valley Times published a dramatic photo of the plane without the panel. Traffic was briefly stopped at the airport to search for the panel.
Following the in-flight emergency of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 caused by a burst door plug, U.S. airline crashes are receiving increased attention.
Boeing has come under heavy regulatory scrutiny following the January 5 Alaska Airlines crash, with investigations into the company’s safety and quality standards in its manufacturing process.
Last week, a Boeing 737 MAX operated by United Airlines rolled onto the grass and off the runway in Houston, sparking the investigation.
Last week, a United Boeing 777-200 bound for Japan also lost a tire after takeoff from San Francisco and was diverted to Los Angeles where it landed safely.
A United Boeing 737 on March 4 bound for Florida from Houston returned to the airport shortly after takeoff after the engine ingested plastic bubble wrap that was on the airport prior to departure. Social media posts showed flames shooting out of the engine.