A Boeing plane operated by United Airlines landed at an Oregon airport on Friday with an exterior panel missing, officials said.
United Flight 433 departed San Francisco and headed to Rogue Valley International Airport/Medford Airport in Meadow, Oregon, at approximately 1:45 p.m., a United spokesperson told FOX News Digital. Landed safely.
“After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered that an external panel was missing,” the airline said in a statement. “We will conduct a thorough inspection of the aircraft and make all necessary repairs before returning to service.”
The Boeing 737 was carrying 139 passengers and six crew members. There were no injuries.
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On Friday, a United Airlines flight bound for Newark Liberty International Airport was diverted due to disorderly conduct by a passenger on board. A Boeing-manufactured United plane landed in Oregon without external panels on Friday, the airline announced. (United Airlines)
United Airlines said the plane did not declare an emergency at the airport because there was no sign of damage during the flight.
An investigation will be launched to determine how the panel came apart, the airline said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will also open an investigation, an FAA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The 25-year-old plane involved in Friday’s incident was first delivered to Continental Airlines, which merged with United in 2012, in December 1998, according to Air Fleet, which tracks commercial aircraft information.
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A Boeing 737 MAX-10 performs a flight display at the 54th Paris International Air Show held at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France on June 20, 2023. (Reuters/Benoît Tessier/File photo)
Boeing’s planes have been involved in a series of in-flight accidents, raising questions about the company’s safety record.
On Wednesday, an American Airlines jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles after a possible mechanical problem aboard the Boeing 777.
United Airlines Flight 830 from Sydney on Monday. San Francisco, The plane was forced to turn back mid-flight due to a fuel leak. The Boeing 777-300 was carrying 167 passengers and 16 crew members when it returned to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, Australia.
Hours earlier, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from Sydney to Auckland suffered a technical problem, injuring 50 passengers.
Boeing referred questions about Friday’s incident to United.
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On Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about concerns about airline safety and Boeing’s spate of accidents.
“I think what Americans need to know is that the FAA is doing everything they can to make sure Americans feel safe, and that’s what these actions are,” she said. “We support these actions to increase safety oversight of Boeing, which should reassure the American public. The FAA is committed to helping us get to the bottom of this.”
Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
