Boeing Concerns Deepen as United Discovers 'Loose Hardware' on Multiple Planes
A Boeing passenger aircraft is under scrutiny after one in-flight incident has led to mass safety inspections.
Alaska Airlines and United have grounded their fleets of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after finding “loose hardware” on multiple aircraft, according to CNBC.
The finds came after an emergency door of one aircraft fell off of the plane after take-off from Portland International Airport on Saturday.
Alaska Airlines flight #AS1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, experienced a rapid decompression after the loss of a large panel that included an emergency exit door on the left side of the plane.
The flight made a safe return to Portland (PDX).pic.twitter.com/KH4gs0X4o6— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) January 6, 2024
The concerning incident spurred the Federal Aviation Administration to ground dozens of the planes as a safety measure, pending further inspection.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines pledged to complete a thorough inspection of its fleet at the behest of the regulator,
“All aircraft will be thoroughly inspected in accordance with detailed instructions provided by the FAA in consultation with Boeing,” the statement said.
“No aircraft will be returned to service until all of these steps are complete.”
United Airlines announced that it had identified loose bolts on door plugs of its Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet following the grounding.
Boeing’s latest 737 MAX crisis deepened after United Airlines and Alaska Airlines said they had found loose parts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft, raising new concerns among industry experts about how its best-selling jet family is manufactured https://t.co/dKl19wun5J pic.twitter.com/VQfBgcuCao
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2024
“These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service,” the carrier pledged.
Alaska also identified “loose hardware” after the safety measure.
Boeing itself voiced support for the FAA’s decision to require airlines to inspect the planes.
“Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” the aviation giant said in a statement distributed on social media.
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) January 6, 2024
Boeing has faced difficulties related to aircraft safety in recent years.
The 737 Max was grounded after numerous fatal crashes in 2019.
Boeing’s corporate strategy of outsourcing its production to India has been criticized as a factor harming its safety standards.
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