The Blubber

United Airlines Boeing 737 makes emergency landing in Oregon after losing panel in mid-air.


No injuries were reported, according to Jackson County Airport Director Amber Judd, who said the flight had originated from San Francisco.

Judd emphasized that the plane was not a new aircraft, unlike the recent slew of incidents. In January, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-MAX 9 lost a door mid-flight.

The incident, the latest from the embattled manufacturer, occurred Monday and is the sixth involving a Boeing plane in 10 days. Judd clarified that the part fell off mid-flight as federal authorities continue to investigate Boeing's production practices.

"It was not a MAX aircraft," Judd said following the Friday scare.

United Airlines confirmed that the 139 passengers and six crew members on board were all safe.

A statement from United Airlines read: "This afternoon United flight 433 landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International/Medford Airport. After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered to be missing an external panel. 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."

United further revealed that it was the wing-to-body fairing that ripped off—a part located on the underside of the aircraft where the wing meets the aircraft body. The panel sits adjacent to where