Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun has admitted the manufacturer’s responsibility for the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX incident last week. Calhoun promised complete transparency in the ensuing investigation, which has so far led to over 170 jets being grounded for inspection.
In a safety meeting with employees at its factory in Renton, Washington, Boeing’s CEO said, “we’re going to approach this – number one – acknowledging our mistake.” The incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Friday has further impacted confidence in the 737 MAX, which was notably involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, among other production problems.
Calhoun added, “We’re going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way.” The company was criticized for its evasive handling of the 737 MAX crashes, which a congressional report claimed was tantamount to a “culture of concealment.”
Much like in the case of MCAS being omitted from pilot manuals, Boeing failed to inform pilots that the cockpit door is designed to spring open during rapid decompression events. For Alaska Airlines’ part, news came out that the aircraft (registration: N704AL) – which was only delivered in October 2023 – had previously displayed pressurization warnings. While Alaska removed the plane from long overwater flights as a safety precaution, it continued to operate the plane.
Boeing will need to provide an updated list of instructions for MAX 9 operators after its initial instructions were met with feedback from operators and authorities. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now ordered every 737 MAX 9 with a plug door to remain grounded following the incident, affecting a total of 171 jets.
The agency added, “The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service.”
Alaska Airlines had briefly continued operating its MAX 9 fleet, with 18 of the jets returning to service following inspections that found no problems. However, the FAA directive has now meant all 65 of its MAX 9 remain grounded.
According to a BBC report, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators suggested on Monday that they believe the incident happened as the door was not bolted adequately. This follows the news that both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines discovered “loose hardware” while inspecting their 737 MAX 9 fleets.
Michel Merluzeau, an aeronautics specialist with consulting firm AIR, told AFP News, “It’s just bad — sloppy work like this. It’s an indication of something going through the safety net at Boeing, for whatever reason.”
The door plug was manufactured by Boeing’s partner, Spirit AeroSystems, although there is no indication that it was responsible for the door blowing out. The NTSB has already stated it does not believe a design flaw is at fault, so it would seem the blame lies with Boeing’s assembly process, unless this particular door plug was built defectively. The planemaker has previously been accused of cutting corners to meet production targets, as has partner Spirit AeroSystems.
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