United Airlines Boeing loses fuselage part during flight – New Zealand case under review Ukraine wants to build more long-range drones – the night update without photos

A United Airlines passenger plane lost a fuselage cover during flight on Friday. The damage to the Boeing 737-800 was only discovered on the ground after it landed without incident in the city of Medford, OregonUnited said. The local newspaper “Rogue Valley Times” had previously published an eyewitness photo showing exposed mechanisms.

According to United, the plane took off from San Francisco with 139 passengers and six crew members. Judging from the aircraft number from another eyewitness photo, the aircraft was put into service in 1998.

After Boeing plane sinks: Airlines must check pilots’ seats

After a passenger plane suddenly sank on its way to New Zealand, causing numerous injuries, manufacturer Boeing asked airlines to check certain switches on the pilot seats.

Operators of 787 Dreamliner aircraft must inspect switches “at the next maintenance opportunity” The American company said this on Friday. At the same time, Boeing emphasizes that the investigation into the incident on Chilean airline Latam flight LA800 is still ongoing.

On Monday, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed abruptly en route from the Australian metropolis of Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand. As passengers told New Zealand media, some people were thrown onto the cabin ceiling. 50 people were injured, 13 of whom had to be taken to hospital.

The airline from Latam spoke of an unspecified “technical incident”. However, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing US industry circles, that a flight attendant accidentally pressed a switch on the back of the pilot’s seat while serving food. A motorized mechanism forced the pilot forward into the aircraft’s controls, pushing the aircraft’s nose downward.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the switch is typically located under a cover – and should not be used while the pilot is in his seat.

In the news since January

Boeing is currently in the spotlight after a virtually new 737-9 Max aircraft lost part of its fuselage while climbing after takeoff in early January. According to initial investigations, the American accident investigation authority NTSB believes that four mounting bolts were missing from the torn fuselage fragment.

However, on a 25-year-old aircraft like the United aircraft, maintenance or material fatigue will likely play a greater role than production. United announced an investigation into how the incident occurred. (saw/sda/dpa)