An exterior panel was found missing from a Boeing United Airlines jet that landed in southern Oregon on Friday.
United Flight 433 departed San Francisco at 10:20 a.m. and landed in Medford, Oregon, just before noon. United Airlines said an exterior panel was found missing from the underside of a Boeing 737-800 parked at a gate at Rogue Valley International Airport.
The plane, which was carrying 139 passengers and six crew members, did not declare an emergency as there were no signs of damage during the flight.
In a statement provided to The Hill, the company said it would investigate the incident.
“We will thoroughly inspect the plane and make any necessary repairs before returning it to service. We also plan to conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred. ” United Airlines said.
Airport Director Amber Judd said no debris was found after the plane landed.
“Normal operations at MFR resumed within minutes,” Judd told The Hill.
When contacted for comment, Boeing referred The Hill to information about its fleet and operations.
The incident occurred two months after a Boeing 737 Max plane operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door panel during a flight. The Department of Justice subsequently opened a criminal investigation into the January 5 incident.
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