An old Boeing 737-800 landed at Medford Airport, in southern Oregon, after taking off from San Francisco. Everything appeared to be correct, but an inspection just after that flight revealed that the plane operated by United Airlines had lost a bottom panel during the journey.
If things go wrong, they can always get worse. This saying is certified by the American aeronautical giant, which has suffered several incidents (loss of a wheel, smoke,…) since last January when a security door that should have been sealed exploded into the air in mid-flight, in a Boeing Max 9 belonging to the Alaska Airlines fleet, a circumstance that forced an emergency landing.
United Airlines Flight 433, with 139 passengers and six crew members, departed and landed safely, Oregon airport authorities said. When it was discovered that a part of the fuselage was missing, when it was being checked for departure again, the runway was paused to look for the detached part. The inspection concluded without finding anything, although there was no indication that there had been an incident during the journey.
“A thorough inspection and repair will be carried out before returning the aircraft to service. “We are going to investigate what could have happened to understand the damage caused,” said a spokesperson for the United company.
That missing part was at the bottom of the device, where the wings join the body, right next to the landing gear. This plane, a precursor model of the Max, made its first flight in December 1998 within the Intercontinental company. United Airlines has been using it since November 2011.