WHAT? A Boeing 737 carrying 139 people arrives in the US without a cabin panel, prompting an investigation

Portland: In a concerning occurrence, a Boeing 737 that made a safe landing in the US state of Oregon on Friday from San Francisco was found to be missing a cabin panel during a post-flight inspection. This is only the most recent in a string of issues involving Boeing aircraft that the business has been involved in. Just before noon, United Flight 433 took off from San Francisco and touched down at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Medford.

According to Amber Judd, director of the airport, the jet landed safely and without incident, but a post-flight examination revealed that the exterior panel was gone. The aircraft lost an exterior panel before landing, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into how it happened. According to Judd, the airport stopped operations to search the runway and airfield for debris, but none was discovered.

Through email, a representative for United Airlines said that the aircraft was carrying 139 passengers in addition to six crew members and that no emergency was reported as there was no sign of damage throughout the flight. According to United, the missing panel was located near the landing gear and on the bottom of the aircraft, where the wing and body connect.

According to a United spokeswoman, “it was discovered that the aircraft was missing an external panel after it was parked at the gate.” “We’ll give the aircraft a comprehensive inspection and take care of any necessary repairs before putting it back into operation. Additionally, in order to comprehend the circumstances surrounding this harm, we’ll look into it.

Boeing sent inquiries to United Airlines and remained silent. The aircraft was constructed in late 1998, based on FAA data. At the airport, traffic was momentarily stopped as the panel was searched.

Boeing’s problems become worse
The most recent event has made the situation that Boeing is facing worse. The company is already under severe investigation after an incident in January in which an Alaska Airlines door plug ripped loose mid-air after takeoff. According to reports, this is the seventh occurrence in two weeks that has heightened pressure on the airline maker, leading to investigations into the company’s manufacturing process safety and quality standards.

A United Airlines Boeing earlier had to make an emergency return to Sydney due to a fuel leak that occurred in midair. According to an airline statement, all 183 passengers and crew members “landed safely, and passengers deplaned normally at the gate.”

Investigations were prompted last week after a Boeing 737 MAX operated by United Airlines skidded off the runway and into the grass in Houston. At around the same time, a San Francisco-bound Boeing 777-200 headed for Japan lost a tyre during takeoff and had to be redirected to Los Angeles, where it made a safe landing.

On March 6, pilots on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 headed for Phoenix were forced to return to the Portland airport due to fumes they had discovered within the aircraft. On March 4, a United Boeing 737 leaving Houston for Florida was forced to return to the airport soon after takeoff due to an engine that had consumed some plastic bubble wrap that had been on the runway before takeoff.

CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, has said that regaining the trust of authorities and airlines is a “serious challenge” for the corporation. Following a few weeks of at least 171 Max 8 aircraft being grounded, Boeing had its worst crisis since two of its aircraft crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.