The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday temporarily grounded some Boeing 737 Max 9 planes used by U.S. airlines after part of a wall appeared to separate mid-air from an Alaska Airlines flight. Then he announced.
The FAA also announced that 737 Max 9 aircraft operating in U.S. territory will be grounded. The FAA said the order affects about 171 of 218 aircraft worldwide.
“The FAA is requiring some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to be immediately inspected before they return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. “Safety will continue to be the driving force in our decision-making. [National Transportation Safety Board’s] Investigation of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. ”
No serious injuries were reported on the plane, which turned around and landed safely at Portland International Airport on Saturday evening.
In its directive, the FAA cited the Alaska Airlines incident and said its decision to ground all 737 Max 9s stemmed from “reports that the center door plug dislodged, causing rapid depressurization of the aircraft.” . .
The agency added that it is issuing this directive because of a potentially dangerous situation that could potentially occur in a similar scenario on another aircraft of the same type, including “injuries to passengers or crew members, and the possibility that the door may impact and/or loss of control of the aircraft.” plane. ”
Boeing said it supports the FAA’s decision.
“Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this incident has had on our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a statement. “We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspection of 737-9 aircraft with the same configuration as the affected aircraft.”
Boeing’s technical team is assisting the NTSB with its investigation, the statement said.
Boeing said it “continues to remain in close contact with regulators and customers.”
Alaska Airlines on Saturday temporarily grounded all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft for maintenance and safety inspections. It said a quarter of the inspections had been completed with “no findings of concern” and 18 aircraft so far were cleared to return to service on Saturday. The remaining aircraft inspections are expected to be completed within the next few days.
United Airlines has temporarily suspended some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft from service due to inspections. This removal is expected to result in approximately 60 cancellations.
Panama’s Copa Airlines also announced it would temporarily suspend flight operations in compliance with the order.
“Big impact sound”
Flight 1282 was heading to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California, but returned to Portland, Oregon shortly after takeoff.
The FAA said the plane returned to the airport after “the crew reported a pressurization issue.”
The flight took off from Portland at 5:07 p.m. and landed in Portland at 5:27 p.m., according to air travel tracking site FlightAware.
It is not clear when or how the panel was separated from the plane.
Alaska Airlines said there were 174 passengers and six crew members on board the plane, which initially described what happened as an “incident.” Photos taken by passengers on the plane showed an entire side panel of the fuselage next to a row of seats missing.
Kyle Rinker posted a photo from the plane on his social media platform Xwith the caption, “When the plane’s wall breaks during flight.”
Airplane passenger identified only as Elizabeth He told NBC affiliate station KGW. According to a reporter in Portland, Oregon, the incident occurred about 20 minutes after the plane departed from the Portland airport.
“Everything was going well until I heard what sounded like a loud bang, or like a boom,” she said. “Then you look up and the air mask comes off and falls off.”
“Then I looked to my left and there was a big gaping hole on the left side where the window was,” she told the station in a phone interview. She said the wind was very loud.
She said everyone was wearing seat belts and people remained calm.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement: “The safety of our customers and employees is always our top priority, so while this type of incident is rare, our flight crews are trained and equipped to safely manage the situation. I was prepared,” he said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Saturday morning: “We have been briefed on last night’s incident and we remain briefed.”[s] We are in close contact with the FAA regarding the response. ”
