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Boeing has issued a statement in response to a concerning initial report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The report revealed that four important bolts were absent from a door plug that ruptured on a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft last month, causing a critical situation during the flight.
The CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, stated that the company takes full responsibility for the incident and will be held accountable. He also emphasized that such an event should not occur on any airplane produced by their factory. This statement was made on Tuesday after the report was released.
We must improve our services for our customers and the people they transport.
The company announced that it is enacting a thorough strategy to improve the caliber of its planes and increase the trust of its stakeholders in light of the event.
Earlier, there were reports stating that the plane’s door plug, which is a panel located near the back of the aircraft’s fuselage, was missing crucial bolts that are necessary for securing it in place.
On January 8, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board released a photo of the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The photo was taken in Portland, Oregon and showed that bolts were missing from the panel that secured the Boeing jetliner. This led to the panel blowing off the plane midflight in January. On February 6, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the accident. As a result of the missing bolts, the pilots of the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet were forced to make an emergency landing.
According to the NTSB’s findings, the aircraft was missing four essential bolts. These bolts are typically used to keep the door plug from moving upwards, as stated by the NTSB.
Based on the report, the airplane’s harm was in line with the door plug moving in an upward and outward motion and being forcefully ejected from the aircraft. The NTSB had previously stated that all 12 of the stop fittings had become disconnected.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated that based on the damage observed, there were no signs of contact damage or bending near the holes where the vertical movement arrestor bolts and upper guide track bolts are located in the upper guide fittings, hinge fittings, and recovered aft lower hinge guide fitting. This suggests that four bolts, which are responsible for keeping the MED plug from moving upwards, were missing before the MED plug actually moved upwards off the stop pads.
The report did not identify the party responsible for the defective door plug, which was produced by Spirit AeroSystems.
“As per the report, meetings with employees from Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems will be arranged for a future date.”
According to specialists who spoke to The Independent, the problem may have originated at the factory.
The photo from a video by Elizabeth Le displays travelers next to the destruction on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282. The flight was compelled to head back to Portland International Airport on January 5th, 2024. (Elizabeth Le via Associated Press)
According to Reuters, a representative from Boeing reported that 50 aircrafts were recently discovered to require repairs due to misaligned holes in their fuselages. This issue was brought to their attention by Spirit Aerosystems.
On January 5th, Flight 1282, run by Alaska Airlines, had taken off from Portland and was headed to Ontario, California. However, at an altitude of 16,000 feet, a plug blowout happened.
There were a total of 171 passengers on the flight, including four minors, three lap children, four flight attendants, and two captains.
Fortunately, there was no one sitting next to the plug, which can also serve as an emergency exit.
A few travelers suffered small injuries and were given medical attention at the location.
The explosion led to sudden decrease in pressure, which caused oxygen masks to be released from the vents and debris from the aircraft to be forcibly expelled, including two iPhones.
The aircraft was forced to make an unexpected landing in Portland.
The door plug was eventually discovered in the backyard of a school teacher, while the two phones were located on nearby streets near the scene of the incident.
The individuals aboard the plane expressed the disorder on the flight as “frightening” and some even allegedly contacted their loved ones to make what they believed to be their last farewells.
On Saturday, January 6th, 2024, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy addressed the media regarding the investigation of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer for the Associated Press)
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A group of individuals who took legal action against Boeing after the incident conveyed to their lawyer, Daniel Laurence, that the experience left them feeling “shocked, terrorized, and bewildered, trapped in a living nightmare, uncertain if they would survive to see another day”.
Alaska Airlines provided all passengers with a compensation of $1,500 while also offering a refund for their flight and access to mental health services.
According to Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB chair, if the incident had occurred at an altitude greater than 16,000 feet, it could have been disastrous.
After the occurrence, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines both reported discovering loose bolts on various airplane models.
The Federal Aviation Administration mandated that all Boeing Max 9s halt operations until comprehensive inspections were conducted, resulting in the cancellation of numerous flights. The model did not resume flying until the end of last month.
However, the FAA has paused the ongoing production of the aircraft in order to conduct an investigation into Boeing’s procedures.
Specialists have stated that they anticipate the ongoing investigation by the NTSB will establish the level of quality control for both Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems. This would involve determining if employees were following the assigned instructions precisely when completing their tasks.
Source: independent.co.uk
