Older 737 Loses Fuselage Panel On West Coast Flight

United Airlines said it's working with various authorities to determine why most of a fuselage panel on the underside of a Boeing 737-800 tore loose on a short flight from San Francisco to Medford, Oregon, Friday. The damaged panel, which according to a photo obtained by the Rogue Valley Times appears to have been in the gear well area of the 25-year-old plane, was discovered after the plane landed in Medford. It was outside the pressure vessel. United said there was no indication during the flight that anything was wrong so the flight was carried out normally. There were 139 passengers and six crew.

The panel appears to have been held by about two dozen bolts. In the photo, the bolts appear to be in place and it seems like the panel tore loose from the mounts. A small portion remained attached and the ragged edge of that piece suggests the remainder was torn loose. The aircraft has been grounded. "After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered to be missing an external panel," United said in a statement. "We'll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service."