Boeing is facing more turbulence even though the flight landed safely, as it was unclear when or how the panel 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 around 20:45 GMT on Friday, but a post-flight inspection revealed a panel was missing, the FAA said.
Medford Airport halted operations to check the runway and airfield for debris, but none was found, according to facility director Amber Judd.
The missing panel was at the bottom of the plane, where the wing joins the body and right next to the landing gear, United said.
There were 139 passengers and six crew members on board the 25-year-old plane. No injuries were reported.
Boeing has been the subject of intense scrutiny since January, when a panel obstructing a space left for an additional emergency door exploded in midair on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
The pilots were forced to make an emergency landing. There were 174 passengers and six crew on board and some people reported minor injuries.
US regulators immediately launched investigations into the company's safety and quality standards in its production process. The FAA grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, affecting 171 aircraft worldwide, and said it had identified “non-compliance issues in manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and control of Boeing products” following an audit of the company.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Department of Justice also launched separate investigations into Boeing.
A United Airlines spokesman said no emergency was declared because there was no indication of damage during the flight.
“We will conduct a thorough examination of the aircraft and make all necessary repairs before it returns to service,” the airline said. “We will also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
The plane made its first flight in April 1998, according to the FAA. It is a 737-824, part of the 737-800 series that was a precursor to the Max.
There was no immediate comment from Boeing.
The planemaker changed its leadership after the Alaska Airlines incident, but faces a widening gap in market share with rival Airbus after fewer orders and deliveries per year over the past decade.
The 737 Max plane was grounded for 20 months between 2019 and 2020 after two fatal crashes that killed nearly 350 people.
On March 4, an engine fire forced a Boeing 737 operated by United Airlines bound for Florida to make an emergency landing in Houston, Texas, shortly after takeoff. United said the engine ingested bubble wrap that was on the airfield before departure.
Two days later, fumes in the cabin of a Boeing 737-800 forced an emergency landing in Portland.
Last week, a tire fell off a Boeing 777-200 after takeoff in San Francisco, destroying a car. The plane was headed to Japan but diverted to Los Angeles, where it landed safely.
A day later, a Boeing 737 Max operated by United Airlines rolled onto the grass and skidded off the runway in Houston.
On Friday, Boeing told airlines to inspect switches in pilot seats on its 787 Dreamliner planes after a published report said an accidental cockpit seat movement likely caused the sudden crash of a Latam Airlines plane. last Monday.
About 50 people were injured on the plane flying to New Zealand from Australia.
