The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the “temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft”, the model of the Boeing aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines crash. The plane made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Portland, Oregon, in the northwestern United States yesterday, after a window and part of the plane’s wall became detached, sparking moments of panic. A touching tragedy.
The US-based airline grounded all 65 Boeing 737s as a precaution immediately after the accident. Then came the decision by American officials to ban the flight of all models of the aircraft in question, including those belonging to other airlines.
The agency said in a statement that the planes should be parked until emergency inspections are conducted, which “will take four to eight hours per aircraft.” The order includes 171 Boeing 737-9 Max jets, as explained in the memo republished by CNN. Aviation authorities of many countries, from England to China, are evaluating what should be done.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker said the agency will require immediate inspections of some planes before they return to the air.
What is known is that the aircraft received its airworthiness certificate in October and has just been delivered. “A rare event,” commented Alaska Airlines, “and each aircraft will return to service only after full maintenance and safety inspections.” CEO Ben Minicucci stated that the company was “cooperating with Boeing and regulators to understand what happened.” “
Because the aircraft type was already in the eye of the storm
Boeing has been struggling with technical and quality control problems with its 737 Max models in recent years. The airframe was built by Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems. In August, Boeing identified a quality issue with the Spirit, including improperly drilled holes in the rear pressurized chamber. In December, the US aviation giant told airlines that its Max aircraft should be inspected for loose components in the plane’s steering control systems after an international operator found a missing bolt and nut during routine maintenance.
But it’s not just him. Boeing 737 Max aircraft were grounded worldwide for 20 months following two crashes with Max 8 models in 2018 and 2019, resulting in a total of 346 deaths in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The FAA approved the planes’ return to service only after the company made changes to its flight control system. Boeing now awaits certification for smaller Max 7 and larger Max 10 models
Eyewitness story: “I thought I was going to die”
Meanwhile, the first testimonies of the passengers who survived the Portland crash emerge. Kyle Rinker, a passenger on the plane, said the porthole became loose shortly after takeoff. “It was really sudden. When we got to altitude, the porthole where the panel was located exploded and we didn’t realize it until the oxygen masks came off.”
An Alaska Airlines passenger plane made an emergency landing on Friday night after part of the plane exploded in the air. In video obtained by CBS News, one of the passenger window panels can be seen exploding. https://t.co/wKIOLENg3r pic.twitter.com/M00hT7HaPx
– CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2024
Another passenger, Vi Nguyen, stated that she woke up with a loud noise during the flight and said, “I open my eyes and the first thing I see is the oxygen mask right in front of me. I look to the left and see a piece of wall. The plane has disappeared. The first thing I thought was ‘I’m going to die’.”
Evan Smith, a young passenger seated near the security gate who was blown away, says he even saw his shirt fly away due to the strong suction from depressurization. Luckily, there was no one on the seat next to the torn panel. Scenes from movies, but scenes that actually happened and could turn into a real tragedy.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
