Boeing remains trapped in public relations purgatory, or have they descended into hell? The aviation company has been beset by issues regarding its aircraft, specifically the 737 Max 9, which suffered a blowout during a routine flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, in January. The 737 Max 9 was grounded for safety inspections, where loose screws were discovered in multiple fuselages, prompting an FAA investigation into its manufacturing practices.
The 737 Max 9 has retaken the skies, but there’s always been something that prevented the company from making a clean break. We had another incident with a United Airlines flight: a panel blew off mid-flight. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing (via NYT):
JUST IN: United Airlines Boeing 737 lands in Oregon after losing panel in mid-air pic.twitter.com/qlqMV5lxkb
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 15, 2024
A United Airlines flight that took off on Friday morning from San Francisco International Airport landed in Oregon missing an external panel, the Federal Aviation Administration said
The panel was found to be missing after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Oregon and parked at a gate, United Airlines said in a statement. It was unclear when or how the panel went missing.
According to the airline, there was no indication of any damage to the plane during the flight, and the aircraft did not declare an emergency on its way to the Medford airport.
“We’ll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service,” the airline said. “We’ll also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
It looks like this is going to be a long year for Boeing.