Airlines Scramble to Ground Boeing 737 MAX 9 After New Setback
© AFP 2023 / PATRICK T. FALLON
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Just a week after Boeing urged airlines to inspect all 737 MAX airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system, an Alaska Airlines jetliner heading from Portland to California had a part of its fuselage blown off shortly after takeoff. The flight made an emergency landing, with several passengers requiring medical attention.
Boeing appears to be headed for more reputational and revenue loss as airlines scramble to ground a version of the airplane maker’s most popular 737 MAX 9 jetliner.
After the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, on Saturday temporarily grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jetliners for safety checks in the wake of a recent incident involving a brand-new Alaska Airlines jet, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also adopted the directive. The EASA noted, however, that none of the EU airlines "currently operate an aircraft in the affected configuration."
Alaska Airlines flight 1282, en route from Portland to California carrying 174 passengers and six crew members was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday after its emergency exit door was blown off, causing severe depressurization. According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy, the plane was forced to return to Portland International Airport just minutes after takeoff "after a mid-cabin door plug...departed the airplane, resulting in rapid decompression."
In the case of the 737 MAX 9, a cabin exit door installed before the rear exit door is activated only in "dense seating configurations to meet evacuation requirements," or, in other words, by low-cost airlines. These doors are not activated on Alaska Airlines aircraft.
The accident occurred at an altitude of about 16,000 feet, before the plane had reached a cruising altitude of between 30,000 and 35,000 feet. Some of the passengers sustained "minor injuries” that required "medical attention," but all have since been "medically cleared."
Screenshot of X post by the Federal Aviation Administration.
© Photo : FAANews/X
Meanwhile, social media was flooded with footage showing a gaping hole in the back left side of the plane, with passengers seen wearing oxygen masks.
Screenshot of X post appearing to show footage from incident involving Alaska Airlines flight No. 1282 on January 5, 2024.
© Photo : rawsalerts/X
Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes to “complete safety and maintenance inspections” into what appeared to be structural failure.
Two United States airlines operate the 737 MAX 9 variant: United Airlines Holdings Inc., which has 79 such planes, and Alaska Airlines. Overall, according to a statement by the FAA, the grounding will affect about 171 planes worldwide.
A British air safety regulator was cited by media reports as confirming that it would require 737 MAX 9 operators to comply with the FAA directive to enter its airspace.
China's aviation regulator has reportedly scheduled an emergency meeting to mull a response to the incident. Beijing is considering grounding the Boeing MAX fleet in the country, as per a Bloomberg report.
Panama’s Copa Airlines announced that it was grounding its 21 737 MAX 9 aircraft, adding that it "expects to return these aircraft safely and reliably to the flight schedule within the next 24 hours," while indicating that delays and cancellations may be expected.
29 December 2023, 00:37 GMT
The current mishap for Boeing follows a recent incident when the company urged all airlines to inspect their 737 MAX airplanes for a “possible loose bolt” in the rudder control system. The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement on December 28 saying they were “closely monitoring” inspections.
Boeing recommended the inspections after an international operator "discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder-control linkage,” the FAA wrote.
The fresh spate of troubles has reignited production concerns, since Boeing's fleet of MAX aircraft was temporarily taken out of service in 2019.
In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed off the coast of Indonesia. Six months later, 157 people died when another 737 MAX 8 crashed just minutes into a flight over Ethiopia. Both fatal crashes were linked to poorly designed cockpit software. The 737 MAX line was subsequently grounded for 20 months across the globe, and cost Boeing more than $20 billion in legal settlements.
Earlier in 2023, Boeing admitted that it was riddled with production issues and delays. According to the aviation giant, the problem concerned the installation of fittings on the rear of the plane that fail to follow the given standard. At the same time, the US airplane manufacturer offered assurances last April that this was "not an immediate safety-of-flight issue" and that the in-service fleet can "continue operating safely."
Boeing is currently awaiting certification of its smaller 737 MAX 7 and larger MAX 10.
