The claim: United flight made emergency landing in Oregon after panels fell off mid-flight
A March 15 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes images of a passenger airplane that appears to be damaged.
“JUST IN – United Airlines Boeing 737 from San Francisco makes emergency landing in Medford, Oregon due to lost aircraft panels mid-flight,” reads the post’s caption.
The post garnered more than 200 likes in less than a week. Another version of the claim spread widely on X, formerly Twitter.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: Partly false
A post-landing inspection found a panel missing (contrary to the post’s claim of multiple panels) on a United Airlines flight that landed at Medford Airport in Oregon. But that airport was the flight’s intended destination and there was “no emergency landing,” according to United.
Photo and missing panel are legitimate, but claim of unplanned landing isn’t
United…