(PORTLAND) A post-flight inspection found the crew missing from the Boeing 737-800 that arrived Friday at its destination in southern Oregon after taking off from San Francisco, officials said. This is the latest in a series of incidents involving planes made by the American company.
United Flight 433 took off from San Francisco, California at 10:20 a.m. and landed at Rogue Valley-Medford International Airport in Medford, Oregon, according to FlightAware.
Airport director Amber Judd said the flight landed safely without incident and that the missing outboard was found during a post-flight inspection.
The airport has suspended operations to check the runway and airport for debris.me Jude, but found nothing.
He added that he believed either ground crew or United pilots, who were doing a routine inspection before the next flight, noticed the missing sign.
A United Airlines spokesperson clarified via email that there were 139 passengers and six crew members on board and that no emergency was declared as there was no sign of damage during the flight.
“After the flight was parked at the gate, it was discovered that an outboard was missing,” a United spokesperson explained. We will thoroughly inspect the aircraft and make necessary repairs before returning it to service. We will conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred. ยป
The missing panel was on the bottom of the plane, where the wing meets the body, and next to the landing gear, United said.
Boeing, via email, said it would provide United with feedback on the carrier's fleet and operations. His post included a link to information about the plane in question, believed to be more than 25 years old.
In January, minutes after an Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland, a crew filling the gap for an extra emergency door, a Max 9, went mid-air. . There were no serious injuries.
The doorstop was eventually found in the backyard of a high school physics teacher in Southwest Portland, with other debris from the burglary scattered nearby. The Department of Justice has initiated a criminal investigation.
On March 6, smoke was detected in the cabin of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 bound for Phoenix, forcing the pilots to return to Portland Airport.
Passengers and crew noticed smoke and the plane landed safely, the airport said. Seven people, including passengers and crew, sought medical evaluations, but no one was hospitalized, officials said.
