01/14/2024 4:37 pm (current 01/14/2024 4:37 pm)
Boeing faces loss of confidence after incident ©APA/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA
Following the recent dramatic incident with one of its Boeing aircraft, Alaska Airlines is sending its own inspectors to the aircraft manufacturer's production lines. The move highlights the loss of confidence in Boeing's quality controls.
Over the weekend it also became clear that aircraft of the affected 737-9 Max type would likely remain on the ground longer. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to gather more information before accepting the aircraft manufacturer's proposal for machine inspections.
A part of the fuselage of a practically new Alaskan aircraft broke on January 5, shortly after takeoff. Some seat-plus configurations have a door instead. However, this variant of the 737-9 Max had a lid that closed the opening. The FAA and other authorities ordered all approximately 170 similar aircraft of the type to be grounded for investigation. Both Alaska and United Airlines found loose fasteners on other planes.
The incident raised questions about Boeing's quality controls. The FAA has launched an investigation and tightened oversight of 737-9 Max production. The models' fuselage is largely assembled by Boeing supplier Spirit Aerosystems.
Boeing chief Dave Calhoun admitted that the quality defects had not been corrected. Alaska referred to this when it announced that it intended to inspect machines on the airline's own production lines. Alaska announced Sunday night that Boeing's control mechanisms would also undergo its own review.
In the Alaska incident, about 170 passengers largely escaped the crash, despite there being a hole in the fuselage. At the same time, experts pointed to fortunate circumstances: the piece tore off during the climb to a height of about 5 kilometers while all passengers were strapped in – and the two seats directly next to the opening were empty.
Boeing has halted deliveries of 737 Max models twice in recent months – first because of quality defects in the rear section of the fuselage, then because of faulty holes in the pressure bulkhead that closes off the rear of the aircraft's cabin.