United 737 Loses Exterior Panel Mid-Flight Before Safe Oregon Landing

• United Airlines Boeing 737-800 lost external panel before landing safely in Oregon with 139 passengers & 6 crew • Plane was 25 years old, built in late 1998 • FAA investigating, no emergency declared during flight • United to thoroughly examine plane and make repairs before returning to service • Incident comes amid increased scrutiny of Boeing safety issues like Alaska Airlines 737 MAX panel loss, United 737 MAX runway roll-off, United 777 tyre loss, and United 737 engine intake of plastic wrap