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United Airlines Flight Makes Safe Landing Despite Missing External Panel

A United Airlines flight that departed from San Francisco International Airport on Friday morning experienced a harrowing incident when it landed in Oregon missing an external panel, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The plane, identified as a Boeing 737-800, safely landed at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Oregon, and parked at a gate where the missing panel was discovered, United Airlines confirmed in a statement. The exact time and circumstances of when the panel went missing remain unclear.

Remarkably, despite the missing panel, the airline reported that there was no visible damage to the aircraft during the flight, and the pilots did not need to declare an emergency as they made their approach to the Medford airport.

United Airlines reassured the public by stating, “We’ll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service. We’ll also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”

The flight had a total of 139 passengers and a crew of six onboard, and fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the missing panel incident. The aircraft involved had been in service for over 25 years and belonged to an older generation of Boeing 737 planes, as noted by Airfleets.net, a website specializing in aircraft information.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, directed inquiries about the incident to United Airlines, while the FAA announced plans to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the missing panel.

The incident comes amidst heightened scrutiny on Boeing following a recent event where a door-sized section dislodged from a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon in January. While there were no severe injuries in that incident, the alarming event prompted government authorities to review Boeing’s quality control practices.

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Following the January incident, the FAA initiated a six-week audit of Boeing, during which they discovered “multiple instances” of the aircraft manufacturer failing to adhere to quality-control standards.

The aviation industry has witnessed several other incidents involving Boeing aircraft in recent months. In March, a United Airlines flight skidded off the taxiway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston after landing, resulting in the plane entering the grassy area. The aircraft involved was also a Boeing 737.

In February, an American Airlines flight bound for Madrid, operating a Boeing 777, made an unexpected diversion to Boston Logan International Airport due to a cracked windshield shortly after departing from JFK International Airport in New York.

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Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?

Now may be the time to buy gold following a recent lull in its price.

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The price of gold has climbed to record highs recently and has remained strong through much of April. And, that growth continued until the precious metal traded at around $2,390 per ounce on April 19, 2024. But since, growth in the price of the precious metal has cooled, with gold’s price now hovering around $2,300 per ounce.

This lull in gold’s price may represent an investment opportunity.

In general, investing is centered around buying assets when prices are low and selling them when prices are high – generating a profit on the difference between the two. So, considering the declines in gold’s price over the past few days, now may be the time to make your investment. But is buying gold during this lull in prices really a good idea?

Compare your gold investment options among leading brokers now.

Gold prices have cooled. Should you buy in now?

With gold’s price down from recent highs, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy in. There are several reasons the dip in gold’s price may represent an opportunity to buy. Here are some of the biggest:

Prices may rise again

If looking at a gold price chart shows anything for certain, it shows that changes in the overall growth of the medal come in fits and spurts. Periods of price growth are typically followed by periods of declines and vice versa.

But with inflation rising in recent months – and with gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset that can hedge against inflation – it only makes sense that the price of the precious metal will eventually start to head up again in the future. While attempting to time that directional change may be tricky, buying the precious metal while the price is down gives you the opportunity to take advantage of any upward movement that may be ahead.

Add gold to your portfolio now before prices have a chance to rise.

You may be able to make a quick profit

Gold isn’t known as an asset in which you can earn a quick return, but in today’s market, that may be the case. Don’t forget that in January, gold was trading at just $2,000 per ounce. And, by mid-April, the commodity’s price had climbed to around $2,400 per ounce. That’s about 20% growth in a matter of months, much of which happened since March 1 – an impressive climb for any investment asset.

Perhaps more importantly, gold’s price growth through the beginning of 2024 shows that the commodity doesn’t have to be a buy and hold style investment that you keep in a safety deposit box or precious metal depository for years to come. There’s also the possibility that the commodity’s price could climb further ahead, making it a compelling way to potentially generate a quick profit.

There are other benefits of investing in gold

There are other benefits of investing in gold that have little to do with the price growth seen thus far in 2024 – or the lull in prices seen over the past couple of days. Those benefits include:

Inflation protection: Gold has long been considered an inflation hedge, and for good reason. When inflation drives the prices of consumer goods and services up – and the value of the dollar down – gold’s price tends to rise. So, it could be used to maintain the value of your portfolio during inflationary economic conditions. That’s important in today’s economic environment as stubborn inflation continues to weigh on the value of the dollar.
Portfolio diversification: Gold’s price doesn’t always move in the same pattern that bonds or stocks do. So, mixing a reasonable amount of gold into your portfolio (up to 10% of your portfolio assets) as a diversifier could protect you from losses should one or more of your traditional portfolio assets fall in value. “If you have less than 5% – 10% of your net worth in commodities & FX (forex), you should absolutely consider adding exposure to gold and other precious metals,” says Vijay Marolia, money manager and managing partner at the wealth management firm, Regal Point Capital.

The bottom line

Gold’s price has fallen from recent highs – which may represent an opportunity to tap into growth ahead. However, gold isn’t simply a “buy while it’s low and sell while it’s a high” kind of investment opportunity. The commodity can also protect your portfolio from the stubborn inflation we’ve seen thus far in 2024 while acting as a diversification tool that could increase your risk-adjusted portfolio returns. So, consider adding gold to your portfolio today while it has the potential to grow in value.

Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Rodriguez is a personal finance and investing writer with a passion for his craft. When he’s not working, he enjoys time with his wife, two kids, two dogs and two ducks.