Alaska Airlines and United find loose screws and components on their Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes

US airlines United and Alaska Airlines They reported this Monday the discovery of “loose components” on some of their Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during preliminary inspections ordered after a device of that model lost a window in mid-flight.

The discoveries occur while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to investigate what caused the explosion on Friday of a component called knocker on a passenger plane Alaska Airlineswhich forced him to make an emergency landing.

LOOK: What happened on the Alaska Airlines plane? Everything about the incident that could have been fatal

United “found cases that appear to be related to installation problems in the door frame, e.g. screws that needed extra tightening,” the company said.

With 79 MAX 9 aircraft, United has the largest fleet of the aircraft in question.

Hours later, Alaska Airlines announced that his team had found that “there were visible loose components on some aircraft.”

AeroMéxicowhich grounded 19 planes, also said on Monday that it was in the “final phase” of inspections and added that it hoped all MAXIMUM 9 of its fleet “will return to operation in the coming days”.

The panel that came off mid-flight raised safety concerns at a time when the manufacturer was counting on the recovery of its reputation. Boeing’s shares on the stock exchange fell more than 8% and put pressure on the Dow Jones index.

On Friday, flight 1282 Alaska Airlines It took off from Portland Airport and shortly afterward the crew reported a “pressurization issue,” according to the FAA.

This image provided by the NTSB on January 8, 2024 shows the hole in the Alaska Airlines plane, a Boeing 737-9 MAX that departed Portland, Oregon. (Photo from Brochure/NTSB/AFP). (FLYER/)

The plane quickly returned to Portland. Images posted on social media showed a hole where the side panel had burst, with emergency oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

Inspectors were grateful that the incident did not result in any deaths or serious injuries.

“Reinforced inspections”

On Monday, the FAA announced approval of a roadmap for new inspections, including side door latches, components and fasteners.

“Boeing 737-9 aircraft will remain grounded until operators complete enhanced inspections,” the FAA said on social media X.

Civil aviation authorities have asked airlines to comply with new inspection protocols for aircraft with configurations similar to the 737 MAX 9.

While investigations continue, analysts point out that the failure could be due to a quality control or manufacturing defect.

Boeing has delivered about 218 737 MAX aircraft so far, the company told AFP.

The area of ​​the plane affected in the incident was a door plug, a panel used to seal off an unnecessary emergency exit on planes with smaller seating configurations.

Another setback for Boeing

The detached door panel was found by a teacher in the backyard of his home in Oregon, western United States.

According to passengers cited by the American press, a teenager who was sitting in line during the incident had his shirt ripped off by decompression, causing minor injuries.

This incident “reveals a significant cultural challenge” within Boeing, according to Richard Aboulafia, director of consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory.

“They have to change,” said the analyst. “They cannot swing from crisis to crisis.”

The incident is the latest setback for the manufacturer, especially on the 737 MAX.

The worst were two crashes – a Lion Air flight in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019 – which killed 346 people in total.

Boeing’s 737 MAX planes were grounded around the world for 20 months following a grounding following these crashes.

On Sunday night, Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun scheduled an all-employee safety meeting for Tuesday at the company’s Washington state factory and canceled a top management meeting.

Industry analysts said the problem appeared to be a quality control issue rather than a design problem that might require an overhaul of the planes.

But even if the direct financial impact is contained, the incident marks the worst episode of an inflight safety problem since the deadly MAX crashed in 2018 and 2019, and Boeing could face delays in government approvals for new aircraft or repairs. estimated.

Source: Elcomercio