The incident involving the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 and the exit door blowout on Jan. 5 has brought to light a series of concerning events. The aircraft, scheduled for a maintenance check that evening, completed only one of its three scheduled flights before the exit door plug blew out while the plane was at 16,000 feet. Despite the lack of casualties or serious injuries, the incident has raised questions about Boeing’s production processes and led to lawsuits against both Boeing and Alaska Airlines.
Quality-Control Concerns
Following the incident, an audit conducted by the FAA uncovered “multiple instances” where Boeing and its contractor Spirit AeroSystems allegedly failed to meet quality-control requirements. This revelation prompted the Justice Department to launch a criminal probe into the matter. Despite this, Alaska Airlines has maintained confidence in its maintenance and safety protocols, expressing a commitment to cooperating with the NTSB-led investigation to prevent future occurrences.
Pre-existing Issues
NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy disclosed that prior to the Jan. 5 incident, Alaska Airlines had imposed restrictions on using the aircraft for lengthy overwater flights, such as to Hawaii. This precaution was taken in response to a pressurization warning light that had been lit on multiple occasions in the days leading up to the incident. Concerns about the exit door had prompted the scheduling of a maintenance check for the following day in Portland, but the decision was made to continue operating the plane in the interim.
Alaska Airlines executives defended their actions, with Donald Wright, the vice president for maintenance and engineering, explaining that the pressurization light had only come on twice in the previous 10 days, falling short of the threshold for more drastic measures. Similarly, Max Tidwell, the vice president for safety and security, supported the decision based on the available data and indicators. However, the fact remains that the exit door plug was discovered in a suburban Portland backyard missing four bolts crucial for its security.
The NTSB investigation concluded that the bolts securing the door plug were likely not reinstalled after undergoing repair work at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash., the previous September. This oversight raises significant concerns about the maintenance practices and oversight within both Boeing and Alaska Airlines. The failure to ensure the proper reinstallation of essential components poses a grave risk to the safety of passengers and crew aboard these aircraft.
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 exit door incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of rigorous maintenance procedures and quality control in the aviation industry. The lapses and oversights that led to this incident highlight the need for increased vigilance and accountability at every stage of aircraft production and operation. It is imperative that all stakeholders involved prioritize safety above all else to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
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