United Airlines reported on Friday that one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft had been discovered with a missing external panel after safely landing at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Oregon. The aircraft had been carrying 139 passengers and six crew members, and the absence of the panel was noticed after the plane had been parked at the gate.
The airline assured that a comprehensive examination of the aircraft would be conducted, and all necessary repairs would be completed before it was cleared for service again. Additionally, United Airlines stated its intention to conduct an investigation into the incident to determine its cause.
Boeing refrained from providing comments on the matter, redirecting inquiries to United Airlines.
The flight originated from San Francisco, according to data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
This incident comes on the heels of another involving a United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which veered off the runway and onto the grass at George Bush Airport in Houston the previous week. Authorities such as the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are currently investigating this incident.
Boeing's manufacturing processes have faced intense regulatory scrutiny since a mid-air panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5th. Investigations are ongoing into Boeing's safety protocols and production standards in light of these incidents.
