United Airlines Plane Lands Safely After Missing Exterior Panel

• United Airlines plane lands safely in Medford, Oregon missing an external panel; occurred on a Boeing 737-800 with 139 passengers & 6 crew • United to thoroughly examine plane and repair before returning to service; will also investigate how damage occurred • Latest in a series of recent Boeing airplane issues; planes have had blown out panels, engine explosions, mid-air drops, etc. • Boeing under intense scrutiny and facing criminal inquiry over safety issues • Transportation Secretary urges Boeing to cooperate fully with probes and address responsiveness, culture and quality problems