There has been another breakdown with a Boeing aircraft. A United Airlines passenger plane lost a cover on its fuselage in flight. The damage was only discovered on the ground after the problem-free landing in the US state of Oregon.
A Boeing 737-800 lost a part of its fuselage on a flight from San Francisco to the US state of Oregon. The lack of cover was only noticed after the United Airlines plane landed safely and as planned at the international airport in the small town of Medford, said airport director Amber Judd.
The local newspaper “Rogue Valley Times” had previously published an eyewitness photo showing exposed mechanics.
According to information on the website of the service provider FlightAware, United flight 433 took off from San Francisco in the morning (local time). After it landed in Medford, operations at the local airport were suspended and the runway was searched for debris, Judd added. But nothing was found.
She assumes that United ground crew or pilots noticed that the fuselage part was lost during a routine inspection before the next flight.
Boeing: Machine was more than 25 years old
The part was on the underside of the plane, where the wing and fuselage meet and near where the landing gear extends, United told the AP in an email. A spokesman later added that there were 139 passengers and six crew members on board the plane. No alarm was triggered as there were no signs of damage during the flight.
According to Boeing, the affected aircraft was more than 25 years old. The aircraft manufacturer is already under increased pressure after a cabin part of a 737 Max plane broke off in mid-flight over the state of Oregon in January. According to initial investigations, the US accident investigation authority NTSB assumes that four fastening bolts were missing from the torn out fuselage fragment.
However, for a 25-year-old aircraft like United’s, maintenance or material fatigue are likely to play a larger role than production. United announced an investigation into how the incident occurred.