Alaska Airlines Grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 Fleet After Emergency Landing
Alaska Airlines Grounds Fleet After Emergency Landing
Alaska Airlines will temporarily ground its fleet of 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after a cabin panel blowout forced a jetliner loaded with passengers to make an emergency landing on Friday, CEO Ben Minicucci said.
Return to Service Only After Maintenance and Safety Inspections
Minicucci said in a statement that the aircraft will be returned to service only after maintenance and safety inspections, which he expected to be completed in the “next few days”. He described the move as a precautionary step.
Emergency Landing and Investigation
Exterior photos of the aircraft appeared to show that a panel that can be used for a rear mid-cabin exit door had separated from the aircraft, Flightradar24 and safety analysts said. Social media posts showed a window and portion of a side wall missing on the airplane, and oxygen masks deployed.
Investigation and Response
Boeing said in a statement it was looking into the emergency landing. “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282,” the company said. “We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation.”
Former Grounding and Safety Measures
The 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months worldwide after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 linked to poorly designed cockpit software killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Boeing is awaiting certification of its smaller 737 MAX 7 and larger MAX 10. The FAA has carefully scrutinized the MAX for years, saying in 2021 it was tracking all 737 MAX airplanes using satellite data.
Importance of Seatbelts
“Whenever you have a rapid decompression such as this, it’s a major safety event,” said Anthony Brickhouse, an air safety expert at Embry-Riddle. “I can’t imagine what these passengers experienced. It would have been loud. The wind would be rushing through that cabin. It was a probably pretty violent situation, and definitely a scary situation.”
Future Inspections and Action
Last week, Boeing said it was urging airlines to inspect all 737 MAX airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system. The FAA said it was closely monitoring Boeing 737 MAX inspections and would consider additional action if more loose or missing hardware was found.
