San Francisco: In an incident reported by officials, a United Airlines flight departing from San Francisco International Airport on Friday morning landed in Oregon with a missing external panel. United Flight 433, which took off at 10:20 a.m., arrived at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Medford shortly before noon, as per FlightAware records. The airport’s director, Amber Judd, confirmed that the plane landed safely without any issues, but a post-flight inspection revealed the absence of an external panel.
Following the discovery, airport operations were temporarily halted to conduct a thorough check of the runway and airfield for any debris, which was found to be absent. It is believed that United ground crew or pilots conducting routine post-flight inspections noticed the missing panel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced its intention to launch an investigation into the incident. Read More: TikTok’s US Revenue Soars to $16 Billion Amid Looming Ban Threats
The absent panel, located on the underside of the aircraft where the wing meets the body adjacent to the landing gear, was reported by United Airlines. The plane in question, a 737-824, first flew in April 1998 and was delivered to Continental Airlines in December of that year. United Airlines has operated the aircraft since November 30, 2011. Boeing, when approached for comment, referred inquiries about the carrier’s fleet and operations back to United.
This incident adds to recent challenges faced by United Airlines, including the incident involving United Flight 35, where a tire fell off a Boeing 777 during takeoff, resulting in a diversion to LAX. Additionally, in January, a panel on a Max 9 jet detached midair shortly after takeoff from Portland on an Alaska Airlines flight, prompting an emergency landing with no serious injuries reported.
