Alaska incident: FAA grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes
Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun took responsibility on Tuesday for a near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines incident last week, vowing “complete transparency” as the aviation giant tries to pivot from its latest crisis, AFP reported.
Speaking to employees at a safety meeting called after Friday’s emergency landing, Calhoun said, “We’re going to approach this (by) number one acknowledging our mistake.”
The attempt to get the 737 Max 9 back in the air was delayed on Tuesday when federal regulators ordered Boeing to change its guidelines for how airlines should inspect the aircraft. This was due to a part in one of the planes blowing out during a flight late last week.
“Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing, the FAA will conduct a thorough review. The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service,” the agency said in an official statement as quoted by The New York Times.
US regulators have grounded 171 737 MAX 9 planes with the same configuration as the Alaska Airlines jet.
The affected panel, a door plug, is used to fill an unneeded emergency exit in planes. NTSB investigators suggested Monday night that the part was not affixed adequately.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday found a missing part – a washer – on one Boeing 737 Max plane operated by Indian airlines during its inspection.
In India, three Indian airlines have a total of 40 Boeing 737MAX aircraft in their fleet – Akasa Air (22), SpiceJet (9), and Air India Express (9).
The DGCA said that the checks of the wing emergency exits had been completed for 32 aircraft to ensure proper closing of all over wing emergency exits.
On January 6, a window broke on an Alaska Airlines aircraft flying from Portland to Ontario in the US, causing a loss of cabin pressure and forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing back at Portland International Airport. The plane was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members. Nobody was injured in the incident.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 10 Jan 2024, 06:10 AM IST
