United Airlines flight UA433 departing from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) landed in Medford, Oregon, with a missing external panel, as confirmed by officials.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered N26226, carrying 139 passengers and six crew members, landed safely, with the missing panel discovered during a post-flight inspection.
Both the airport and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated investigations into the incident.
This occurrence follows recent incidents involving United Airlines flights departing from SFO, prompting aviation experts to emphasise the safety of air travel despite these rare incidents.