What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 8, 2010 at about 0930, an occurrence notice was received at the ord FSDO with the following information: "ord: ual 201, B752, iad-sea, emergency was declared due to a passenger reporting to have seen a plate (panel) fall off the leading edge of aircraft wing. PIC reported aircraft stable. Diverted to ord, landing without further incident at 1405Z." Inspectors from the ord FSDO met the aircraft, (N533UA) at terminal gate C-23 shortly after its arrival. At that time united airlines maintenance personnel were at the aircraft and were examining the damage to the left inboard wing area. The passengers had already departed and the flight deck crew was in the process of leaving the aircraft. The flying captain, privacy data omitted stated that a general aviation, FAA inspector, thomas hoffman flying in the cabin, noted the damage in flight and reported it to the flight deck crew. A later review of the FAA personnel director indicated that privacy data omitted is an FAA, flight standards employee but is not an inspector. He is a writer/editor at afs 805.an inspection of the damaged area after the aircraft was taken to the hanger determined that an area of about 37 inches wide by about 7 inches deep along the trailing edge of the number 5 wing slat had delaminated and broken up inflight. The leading edge of the wing over which the number 5 slat travels also had several smaller areas of damage and delamination which may have been related to or aggravated by the break up of the number 5 leading edge slat. However that leading edge damage appeared to have been there for some time due to the apperance of the paint surface. United airlines maintenance, over a period of several days removed the number 5 leading edge slat and replaced it with another one from a different aircraft. The leading edge assembly was removed, repaired and then reinstalled. At the complete ion of all this work the aircraft was released for service.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 8, 2010 AT ABOUT 0930, AN OCCURRENCE NOTICE WAS RECEIVED AT THE ORD FSDO WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: "ORD: UAL 201, B752, IAD-SEA, EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED DUE TO A PASSENGER REPORTING TO HAVE SEEN A PLATE (PANEL) FALL OFF THE LEADING EDGE OF AIRCRAFT WING. PIC REPORTED AIRCRAFT STABLE. DIVERTED TO ORD, LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AT 1405Z." INSPECTORS FROM THE ORD FSDO MET THE AIRCRAFT, (N533UA) AT TERMINAL GATE C-23 SHORTLY AFTER ITS ARRIVAL. AT THAT TIME UNITED AIRLINES MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WERE AT THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE EXAMINING THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT INBOARD WING AREA. THE PASSENGERS HAD ALREADY DEPARTED AND THE FLIGHT DECK CREW WAS IN THE PROCESS OF LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLYING CAPTAIN, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT A GENERAL AVIATION, FAA INSPECTOR, THOMAS HOFFMAN FLYING IN THE CABIN, NOTED THE DAMAGE IN FLIGHT AND REPORTED IT TO THE FLIGHT DECK CREW. A LATER REVIEW OF THE FAA PERSONNEL DIRECTOR INDICATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS AN FAA, FLIGHT STANDARDS EMPLOYEE BUT IS NOT AN INSPECTOR. HE IS A WRITER/EDITOR AT AFS 805.AN INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGED AREA AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO THE HANGER DETERMINED THAT AN AREA OF ABOUT 37 INCHES WIDE BY ABOUT 7 INCHES DEEP ALONG THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE NUMBER 5 WING SLAT HAD DELAMINATED AND BROKEN UP INFLIGHT. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING OVER WHICH THE NUMBER 5 SLAT TRAVELS ALSO HAD SEVERAL SMALLER AREAS OF DAMAGE AND DELAMINATION WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO OR AGGRAVATED BY THE BREAK UP OF THE NUMBER 5 LEADING EDGE SLAT. HOWEVER THAT LEADING EDGE DAMAGE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR SOME TIME DUE TO THE APPERANCE OF THE PAINT SURFACE.UNITED AIRLINES MAINTENANCE, OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL DAYS REMOVED THE NUMBER 5 LEADING EDGE SLAT AND REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER ONE FROM A DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT. THE LEADING EDGE ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED, REPAIRED AND THEN REINSTALLED. AT THE COMPLETE ION OF ALL THIS WORK THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR SERVICE.