CommuteAir, an airline that operates flights for United Airlines’ regional brand, United Express, has apologized to a passenger after cabin equipment malfunctioned during a flight earlier this week. The mishap involved an interior panel coming loose and hitting a passenger a few minutes after takeoff.
The detached panel, which the carrier claims is made of plastic, was dangling from two strings and revealed the inside of the cabin wall. The seemingly upset passenger reportedly had to endure the rest of the flight with the panel “undone.”
Christian Cooper was traveling on UA4305 from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Huntsville International Airport (HSV) on Wednesday. Just three minutes after takeoff, the panel came loose and hit Cooper in the head.
In a post on X, Cooper shared a picture of the ordeal and confirmed that his seat was an emergency exit row seat. While the panel appeared to be held up by band-aids on the upper corners, the adhesive did not seem to do the trick.
Cooper also seemed to question whether the fix was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and urged United to do better.
The flight was operated by an Embraer ERJ145XR. According to Flightradar24, the example is registered as N14148 – a 21-year-old airframe. In a statement to Simple Flying on Saturday, a CommuteAir spokesperson confirmed the mishap and said the airline had contacted Cooper directly.
“A plastic interior panel came loose on CommuteAir/United Express flight 4305 from Washington Dulles to Huntsville, AL, on Wednesday. The flight landed normally, and our team repaired the panel. We apologize to the passenger seated near the panel and have reached out to him directly to address his concerns.”
The panel covers the handle used to open the overwing exit in the case of an emergency. The ERJ145XR has four doors: the front left main entry and exit door, a secondary door in the front on the right, and two overwing exits on each side.
Based on the photo, Cooper appears to have been seated in seat 18A, but it has not been confirmed by Simple Flying.
According to planespotters.net, N14148 was delivered to ExpressJet Airlines in September 2003. It operated under the Continental Express brand for seven years until Continental Airlines merged with United in 2010.
The aircraft has flown under the United Express brand ever since, but it was transferred to CommuteAir’s operation after ExpressJet ended its contract with United in 2020. ExpressJet would later cease operations in August 2022.
Cleveland-based CommuteAir has 75 ERJ145XRs, with an average age of 20.3 years. However, according to ch-aviation, only 53 are active. Unlike other regional aircraft, the planes are not equipped with first class.
Instead, they feature United Economy Plus and standard economy seats in a 1-2 configuration, accommodating a total of 50 passengers.
The regional airline operates the regional jets exclusively for United, but also has a sole E170 that is used for charter services.
