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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A post-flight inspection found a panel was missing from an older Boeing 737-800 that just arrived at a destination in southern Oregon on Friday after flying from San Francisco. announced the official. Recent incidents involving aircraft manufactured by the company.
United Flight 433 departed San Francisco at 10:20 a.m. and landed at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Medford just before noon, according to FlightAware. Airport Director Amber Judd said the plane landed safely without incident, but post-flight inspection revealed an external panel was missing. No injuries were reported.
Judd said the airport suspended operations to check the runway and airfield for debris, but none was found.
Judd said he believes the missing panel was noticed by United Airlines ground staff or the pilot, who was performing a routine inspection before the next flight.
A United Airlines spokesperson said in an email that there were 139 passengers and six crew members on board the flight, and no emergency was declared because there were no signs of damage during the flight.
“After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered that an external panel was missing,” a United spokesperson said. “We will thoroughly inspect the plane and make any necessary repairs before returning it to service. We will also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would also investigate.
United Airlines said the missing panel was on the underside of the plane, where the wings meet the fuselage, right next to the landing gear.
According to the FAA, the plane first flew in April 1998 and was delivered to Continental Airlines in December of the same year. United Airlines has been operating his since November 30, 2011. This is the 737-824, part of the 737-800 series, the predecessor to the Max.
Boeing also said in an email that it would not comment to United on its fleet or operations.
In January, a panel blocking the space left for an additional emergency door blew a Boeing Max 9 jet through the air, leaving a gaping hole minutes after an Alaska Airlines jet took off from Portland. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. No one was seriously injured.
The door plug was eventually found in the backyard of a high school physics teacher in southwest Portland, along with other debris from the plane scattered nearby. The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation.
On March 6, smoke was detected on board a Boeing 737-800 Alaska Airlines flight bound for Phoenix, and the pilot returned to the 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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Bauman reported from Bellingham, Washington.
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