Panel evidently came off in flight, was not noticed until plane was at the gate
By Nick Morgan, Rogue Valley Times
A United Airlines plane was grounded Friday in Medford after it was found to be missing a panel after touching down on a flight from San Francisco.
The plane is a Boeing 737-824, according to Jackson County Airport Director Amber Judd. No injuries were reported, Judd said.
The plane was not a new aircraft. Judd said that newer model aircraft — such as the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-MAX 9 that lost a passenger compartment side panel mid-flight near Portland in January — do not fly in Medford.
“It was not a MAX aircraft,” Judd said.
According to the aircraft’s N-number, the plane was delivered to Continental Airlines on Dec. 22, 1998. It has been operated by United Airlines since Nov. 30, 2011.
United Flight 433 landed safely, and the Medford airport was the scheduled destination, according to an email from United Airlines’ media relations team. The flight was carrying 139 passengers and six crew.
“After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered to be missing an external panel,” United said in a statement. “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 statement added.
There was no indication of the damage during the flight, according to United.
According to online flight trackers using the plane’s N- number, the aircraft had come to Medford from San Francisco. Earlier in the day, it had flown from Nashville to San Francisco. It was scheduled to fly to Denver later this afternoon.
Judd said the aircraft “will be here for a while,” indicating that the plane was not in condition to fly.
The whereabouts of the missing metal piece is unknown. “They don’t know where they lost it,” Judd said.
The search for the missing part prompted airport officials to temporarily close two runways. Judd said it lasted “just a matter of a few minutes, maybe 15 minutes” while crews ensured there was no debris.
“Then the other planes started landing and taking off,” Judd said.
An investigation is expected to be launched.
A criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines mishap has been launched, with Boeing saying it can’t find work records.
Related story: United Airlines jet grounded in Medford with lost panel returns to San Francisco
Reach reporter Nick Morgan at [email protected] or 458-488-2036. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
