Boeing 737-800 Loses Panel During Flight

Pexels - Tanathip Rattanatum

A Boeing 737-800 operated by United Airlines experienced an incident on Friday when it landed in Oregon, USA, with a missing panel. It is speculated that the part may have been lost during the flight. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has initiated an investigation into the matter.

No Injuries or Emergency Landing

The aircraft was carrying 139 passengers and 6 crew members at the time of the incident. Fortunately, no one on board was injured and there was no need for an emergency landing. The damage was discovered only after the plane had landed at its final destination in Medford.

Temporary Closure of the Airport

Following the discovery of the missing panel, the airport had to temporarily close all runways to search for the lost part. However, the panel was not found, leading to the assumption that it might have been lost during the flight.

Age of the Aircraft and Social Media Reactions

The Boeing aircraft, over 25 years old, had departed from San Francisco. Images on social media show a large hole in the fuselage of the plane. United Airlines issued a statement saying, “We are conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the damage and carrying out all necessary repairs before the aircraft is put back into operation.”

Boeing and United Airlines

Boeing, which manufactured the aircraft in 1998, has not commented on the incident and referred all media inquiries to United Airlines.

Recent Incidents with Boeing Aircrafts

This is not the first incident involving a Boeing aircraft. Earlier this year, a Boeing 737 MAX lost a door panel during a flight. Earlier this month, a wheel fell off the landing gear of a Boeing 777.