A United Airlines Boeing 737 was grounded on March 15 after it was found to have lost an external panel mid-air without the knowledge of the flight crew, according to the airline.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, United said that despite the missing panel, the Boeing 737-800, which flew out of San Francisco, had landed safely in Jackson County, Oregon.
“This afternoon United flight 433 landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International/Medford Airport (MFR). After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered to be missing an external panel,” the statement reads.
“We’ll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service. We’ll also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
The airline did not provide details on the cause of the missing panel or any potential implications it may have had during the flight.
It is unclear if any of the 139 passengers and six crew members on Flight 433 were affected by the missing panel.
However, United noted that the aircraft did not declare an emergency before landing, “as there was no indication of the damage during flight.”
The missing external panel on March 15 is the latest in a slew of incidents that have put Boeing under intense scrutiny by federal authorities and the aviation industry this year.
Incidents involving Boeing aircraft seem to be increasing in frequency since an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a mid-air blow-out of a door plug at 16,000 feet, forcing an emergency landing of a 737 MAX 9 in January.
Since then, more Boeing aircraft operated by United have experienced major incidents.
On March 7, a United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER lost a wheel from the left main landing gear shortly after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport. The flight was headed to Japan but diverted to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after the incident.
The plane landed safely at LAX, according to airport spokesperson Dae Levine. Fire engines stood by but weren’t needed. The aircraft came to a stop about two-thirds of the way down a runway and was then towed away.
Video footage and images of the incident circulating on social media show the wheel detaching and falling shortly after the plane took off. They also show damage to vehicles and a barrier fence allegedly caused by the wheel.
Also on March 7, the engine of a United Boeing 737-900 burst into flames mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing. The terrifying moment on Flight 1118 from Houston to Fort Myers was caught in jarring video footage by passengers, showing hot flashes streaming out of an engine.
On March 11, a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged out of the air, throwing passengers onto the roof and injuring 50 people. According to reports, the issue may have been caused by a flight attendant accidentally flicking a switch on the pilot’s seat, forcing him forward into the controls.
On March 11, a United Airlines Boeing 777, flying from Sydney to San Francisco, had to return to Sydney soon after takeoff because of a “maintenance issue.” It was later discovered that the issue was caused by leaking hydraulic fluid, which was seen in a video captured by an aviation enthusiast. Upon landing back in Sydney, fire crews were waiting to greet the aircraft on the tarmac.
On March 14, an American Airlines Boeing 777 blew a tire during takeoff from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The 23-year-old aircraft landed in Los Angeles without any incident, according to the airline.
“The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and customers deplaned normally,” the airline stated.
In January, safety concerns regarding Boeing aircraft gained national attention when a door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out at 16,000 feet.
After the incident, United Airlines conducted inspections on other 737 MAX jets and found loose bolts and installation issues on the door plug that failed. The door plug is used to seal additional emergency exits in certain configurations of the plane.
The Epoch Times contacted Boeing for comment.
Amid these issues, a whistleblower who worked for Boeing for 30 years was found dead “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound” on March 9, according to the Charleston County Coroner’s office in South Carolina.
John Barnett, 62, who had worked for more than 30 years at Boeing before retiring in 2017, had become a vocal critic of the company’s safety and production quality practices.
He was involved in litigation against Boeing at the time of his death. He claimed that the aircraft maker had retaliated against him for repeatedly reporting defects.
Mr. Barnett’s friends have questioned the details of his death, expressing skepticism of the coroner’s conclusion.
“Do we really believe this? Was there a setup? We don’t know,” he said.
Meanwhile, another woman, who said she’s a close family friend of Mr. Barnett, claimed that he told her, “If anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.”
Boeing has expressed condolences for Mr. Barnett’s death.
