NAfter the demolition of a cabin section including a window on a Boeing 737-9 Max, the American aviation authority FAA has ordered a temporary flight ban for more than 170 aircraft of the type. The authority announced on Saturday that immediate inspections of certain aircraft of this model were necessary, which would take around four to eight hours per aircraft. Only then could the affected aircraft go back into operation. This applies to aircraft operated by American airlines or traveling on American territory – 171 aircraft worldwide.
Previously, an Alaska Airlines passenger plane made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on Friday evening because part of the fuselage came loose shortly after takeoff. Footage shows a gaping hole in the machine. According to Alaska Airlines, there were 171 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 737 Max 9.
“We are investigating what happened”
The plane with flight number 1282 took off from Portland to Ontario in California at 5:06 p.m. (local time). According to FlightRadar24, the plane reached an altitude of almost 5,000 meters. Alaska Airlines announced on Friday evening that the plane landed “safely” in Portland again at 5:26 p.m. “We are investigating what happened.” The American traffic authority National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA also announced investigations.
According to the FAA, the crew reported an “air pressure problem” shortly after takeoff. Videos on social media show passengers wearing oxygen masks sitting in their seats next to the hole as strong winds hit the plane.
Several American media outlets reported, citing various passengers, that the seat right next to the hole was unoccupied. There was a young person sitting in the middle seat who suffered redness and bruises due to the pressure drop and whose shirt was torn away.
Passenger Evan Smith told American regional broadcaster Katu: “A loud noise was heard from the left row. A whooshing noise and the oxygen masks fell off.” The mother of the young person in the aisle seat was holding her child. There were initially no reports of serious injuries.
Apparently unused plane door detached
“The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority,” said Alaska Airlines. “Although such incidents are rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to safely handle the situation.”
A few hours later, Alaska Airline released a second statement. “My condolences go out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced,” said the statement from CEO Ben Minicucci. “Following today's incident on Flight 1282, we have decided to temporarily ground our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft as a precautionary measure.” They would only be returned to service after maintenance and safety inspections, which are expected to take place in the coming years days would be completed.
Torn open: Shortly after takeoff, part of the fuselage comes off.
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Image: Reuters
On Saturday morning (local time), the airline announced that it had already inspected more than a quarter of the Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet and found nothing of concern. The aircraft would be used again as soon as the investigations had been completed “with our full confidence”.
The incident is also likely to have consequences in Europe. The British aviation regulator CAA said on Saturday evening that there were no such machines registered in Great Britain. All non-British airlines have been written to confirm that they carry out security checks before entering British airspace.
The aircraft manufacturer Boeing said it was in contact with the airline and was making a technical team available. The passenger plane was only delivered to Alaska Airlines in late October and was certified in early November, according to FAA data.
It was initially unclear which part of the aircraft fuselage came off. The Bloomberg news agency reported from a window, Reuters and the Katu broadcaster from an airplane door.
According to FlightRadar24, it is an exit door between the wings and the conventional rear door that is only used when the seats are tight to meet evacuation requirements. In models from Alaska Airlines, which mostly flies with Boeing aircraft, these doors are permanently blocked.
The Boeing 737 Max aircraft is always in the headlines and is also referred to as a “breakdown plane”. Most recently, a Boeing 737-800 with 132 people crashed in China in March 2022; no one survived. After several crashes in recent years, investigation reports showed that a faulty automatic control system steered the machines towards the ground. After revising the software, the manufacturer received re-approval. Recently, however, production defects became known again.
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