A Boeing Flight from Indonesia to the U.S. After two Killings in 2018 and 2020: An Investigation into a Large-Scale 737 Max Aircraft Accident
Yesterday, The Seattle Times reported that Boeing had petitioned the FAA for a safety exemption for the 737 Max 7, a smaller plane the agency hasn’t certified yet. The defect that might cause the engine nacelle to break up was found on the plane. According to the article, existing 737 Max planes can continue to operate while the pilots turn off the anti-Ice system to avoid overheating. Boeing reportedly called nacelle breakup “extremely improbable” in its petition.
The incident comes less than four years after Boeing Max aircraft were allowed to fly passengers in the U.S. All Boeing Max planes were grounded worldwide in 2019 after two deadly crashes involving Max 8 jets.
The cabin was depressurized by the hole that was found shortly after takeoff. The plane flew over the ocean before landing at Portland International Airport.
In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion to settle a criminal charge related to the crashes. Under the deal, Boeing was ordered to pay a criminal penalty of $243.6 million while $500 million went toward a fund for the families whose loved ones were killed in the crashes. Much of the rest of the settlement was marked off for airlines that had purchased the troubled 737 Max planes.
But it wasn’t just manufacturing flaws. The company failed to tell regulators about the changes it made to its flight control system, according to a report by the department’s inspector general. The report concluded that Boeing expedited the plane’s certification process by doing this.
The company’s flight control system was partly to blame, according to investigators. The system known as MCAS caused both planes to nosedive when the pilots tried to regain control.
The aircraft’s safety problems were under global scrutiny after deadly crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 — which killed a total of 346 people. In December of 2020, Boeing completed its first commercial flight in the U.S.
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
Oxygen masks were deployed as the aircraft quickly returned to Portland International Airport. The flight had 171 passengers and six crew members on board. No serious injuries or casualties were reported.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Ore., shortly after 5 p.m. PST Friday, bound for Ontario, Calif. Social media posts show a gaping hole on the left side of the plane after a window broke off in midair.
The MAX -8 and -7 in our current fleet do not have exit door plug, which is necessary for the Friday evening event. Our fleet and operation are unaffected,” a Southwest spokesperson said in a statement.
Southwest and American Airlines did not tell NPR they do not have Boeing737 in their fleets. Max 9s. Both airlines said the Boeing Max 8 did not raise any concerns.
A Flight of a Boeing 737 in Portland, Or, Inserted by a Blast-Out of an Aircraft Anti-Ice System
Last year, the FAA told pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions because of concern that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, possibly striking the plane.
The Max is the newest version of Boeing’s venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The plane went into service.
The plane has been on over 150 flights since entering commercial service. The aircraft flew from Portland three times this day.
A passenger sent KATU-TV in Portland a photo showing the hole in the side of the airplane next to passenger seats. There were people wearing masks and clapping as the plane came in.
According to a recording on the website Live ATC.net, the pilot of the plane said it had an emergency and needed to return to the airport.
The plane was diverted about about six minutes after taking off at 5:07 p.m., according to flight tracking data from the FlightAware website. It landed at 5:26 p.m.
Minicucci said the airline anticipated completing safety inspections within days and that each aircraft would be back in service after full maintenance.
Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft late Friday, hours after a window and piece of fuselage on one such plane blew out in midair and forced an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.