UA 433 loses part of exterior panel SFO-MFR

[Martin Stephens]

Agree - its everywhere and poor technical education and salaries are to blame. Doctors, pilots, air traffic controllers all want to be properly and rightly rewarded for the critically important and responsible jobs they do. Not see the money diverted to shareholders.

[Peter Fanelli]

Originally Posted by ATC Watcher

B737-800, from 1998 ex Continental according airliners, Cannot judge the actual damage but the overall appearance around the missing panel indicates an aircraft rather poorly taken care of . if I compare it with a major European or Asian-Pacific airline.
Is this typical United standard of care or just an exception ?

It's a machine, it's going to get dirty.
Is Air France not a European airline?
As for non critical bits falling off from time to time, it happens.
https://simpleflying.com/concorde-lost-rudder/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/...ransport.world
"This is the fifth time since 1989 that a BA Concorde has experienced rudder problems in flight. The air accident investigation branch has launched an inquiry."
Glass houses Sir.

[BFSGrad]

N26226 must be repaired as it’s scheduled to depart KMFR at 1630Z for SFO as UAL 3851. Assume as a revenue flight although I can’t find any seats available.

Searching news headlines for this incident, I noted that just about every news headline included “Boeing.” I then searched for the UAL1816 loss-of-hydraulics incident at SFO and couldn’t find any headlines that included “Airbus.” Curious that…

[golfyankeesierra]

Could this be a case of wrong sized fasteners? See all of them still in place. Are there different sizes on one type, especially the diameter of the head?

[Rebus]

Originally Posted by golfyankeesierra

Could this be a case of wrong sized fasteners? See all of them still in place. Are there different sizes on one type, especially the diameter of the head?

Yes there can be different sized screws on the same panel and different head types, shear or tension.

[tsumini]

Front seal appears to be missing. probably due to lifting from loose fasteners and ripping panel off.

[hunbet]

It's an access panel. The fasteners are bonded into the panel.

[MechEngr]

They aren't bonded anymore.

Does this look like a dent? The curve is smooth everywhere else.

[Rebus]

Originally Posted by tsumini

Front seal appears to be missing. probably due to lifting from loose fasteners and ripping panel off.

That seal is for the undercarriage door and is probably damaged due to normal wear and tear.

[Matt48]

Originally Posted by waito

How dangerous is this departing panel? Material, mass... (regarding impact on some aircraft sections, people, ground equipment)?

Anything falling from an aircraft is a bad look, even something like a bolt or a screwdriver.

[tsumini]

Originally Posted by Rebus

That seal is for the undercarriage door and is probably damaged due to normal wear and tear.

Yeah too much normal wear and tear.