SEATTLE, Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Monday that Alaska Airlines allowed a Boeing plane to continue flying despite warnings from a cabin pressurisation system. The plane, a Boeing 737 Max 9, experienced triggered warning lights on three previous flights before suffering a fuselage blowout this week.
After two warnings were triggered on consecutive days, the company stopped flying the aircraft over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii but continued to fly it over land. The NTSB stated that although maintenance crews checked the plane and cleared it to fly, the airline decided not to use it for the long route to Hawaii over water.
The mid-air incident has raised concerns about the production process and quality control for the Max 9. The model is used by relatively few airlines, but the entire global fleet of the 737 Max family was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes in the space of six months killed 346 people. This latest incident has also raised new concerns about loose parts on multiple grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, further adding to industry experts’ worries about the manufacturing process for the passenger planes.
United Airlines and Alaska Airlines reported finding loose parts on multiple grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 Max 9 planes worldwide after the incident. The FAA has approved a road map for carriers to complete inspections, and planes will remain grounded until operators complete the “enhanced inspections.”
The Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet is operated by relatively few airlines, including United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Panama’s Copa Airlines, and Aeromexico. Boeing has stated that it is committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards, and it expressed regret for the impact this incident has had on customers and their passengers.
In light of the recent incident and concerns raised, the FAA’s approval of enhanced inspections will be crucial in ensuring the safety and airworthiness of the Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet. The NTSB’s investigation into the warnings triggered on previous flights will provide important insights and data for addressing potential safety issues related to the aircraft.