Boeing faces more turbulence even though its flight landed safely because it’s unclear when or how the sign disappeared.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating how a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 lost an external panel before landing safely in the US state of Oregon, the latest in a series of recent incidents involving planes manufactured by the company.
Flight 433 from San Francisco landed safely at Rogue Valley Medford International Airport in Oregon on Friday around 8:45 p.m. GMT, but a post-flight inspection revealed a missing panel, the FAA said.
Medford Airport suspended operations to check for debris on the runway and airfield, but none was found, according to Facilities Manager Amber Judd.
The missing panel was on the underside of the plane, where the wing meets the body and right next to the landing gear, United said.
There was no indication of damage during the flight, a United Airlines spokesperson said. We will conduct a thorough examination of the aircraft and make any necessary repairs before returning it to service. We will also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.
Boeing has been under scrutiny since January, when a panel blocking a space left for an additional emergency door exploded mid-air on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, in Oregon.
The pilots were forced to make an emergency landing. There were 174 passengers and six crew members on board, and some people reported minor injuries.
The plane involved in the recent incident made its first flight in April 1998, according to the FAA. This is a 737-824, part of the 737-800 series which was a precursor to the Max.
Boeing faces a growing market share gap with rival Airbus, following a decline in annual orders and deliveries over the last decade.
The 737 Max plane was grounded for 20 months between 2019 and 2020 after two fatal accidents that left nearly 350 dead.
Boeing has reshuffled its leadership following the Alaska Airlines incident, and regulators have launched investigations into the company’s safety and quality standards in its production process.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Department of Justice are conducting separate investigations into Boeing.
In recent weeks, incidents involving Boeing planes include an engine fire on a United Airlines Boeing 737 and a Boeing 737 Max rolling onto the grass and going off the runway in Houston.
Boeing has asked airlines to inspect pilot seat switches on its 787 Dreamliners following a report that accidental movement of the cockpit seat caused an emergency landing that injured around 50 people.
There was no immediate comment from Boeing regarding the latest incident involving the missing panel on the United Airlines flight in Oregon.
