United Airlines crew finds panel missing on Boeing 737 plane after landing

Crews discovered a broken panel on a Boeing aircraft after it completed a Friday flight from San Francisco to Oregon. The 25-year-old plane made the flight without incident.

A Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by United Airlines flew Friday with a large part of its exterior missing, according to the airline, marking the latest in a series of malfunctions to plague the manufacturer.

The flight from San Francisco to Oregon landed safely, but upon arrival crews discovered a broken exterior panel on the 25-year-old aircraft.

According to a statement from United Airlines, no emergency had been declared and the missing piece was not discovered until all 139 passengers and six crew members safely disembarked from the plane.

“We’ll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service,” the airline said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has launched an investigation into the incident. It marks the seventh reported incident involving a Boeing plane just this week.

Despite travelers’ growing fears of flying with Boeing, aviation expert Richard Levy says this latest incident is not a concern.

“The airplane did not just come out of the Boeing factory. It was an older aircraft. The airplane landed safely. Yes, it’s going to be an investigation because of the recent news with Boeing. But as far as safety, this does not concern me whatsoever,” said Levy, who is also a former commercial pilot.

According to FAA records, the Boeing aircraft Friday was built in late 1998.