“We confirmed that the screws (bolts) of the ‘door plugs’ were loosely tightened on several aircraft of the same type as the accident airliner.” (United Airlines, USA)
It has been raised that the door plug detachment accident of Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger plane, which almost led to a major disaster at Portland Airport in Oregon on the 5th, may have been caused by an ‘assembly defect’ by aircraft manufacturer Boeing. A door plug is a panel component made up of a window and a wall that blocks unnecessary emergency exits and acts as a cabin wall.
On the 8th, United Airlines began a safety inspection of its Max 9 airliner and discovered that several door plugs had screws that were not properly tightened. Reuters, quoting a source, said, “There are at least close to 10, and the full investigation has not yet been completed, so the number may increase further.” There is a possibility that the Alaska Airlines plane accident was Boeing’s fault.
Of the 171 Max 9s that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered to be suspended due to this accident, United Airlines has 79 of them. The FAA said, “We have conveyed the strengthened inspection standards to all airlines, and Max 9 operations can resume after taking appropriate actions based on the inspection results.”
Local people are paying attention to ensure that this situation does not spread into a crisis for Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. As the movement to avoid boarding Boeing spreads on social media, Boeing’s stock price plummeted by 8.03% as of the closing price on the 8th. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, “This accident wiped out $12 billion (about 15.75 trillion won) in Boeing’s market capitalization.”
Some point out that it is too early to conclude that this was Boeing’s fault. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating whether Alaska Airlines, the operator of the plane in question, appropriately followed safety measures. NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendi said on the 7th, “We are at the stage where the door plug must be collected and thoroughly inspected,” and added, “No conclusions should be drawn easily yet.”
The door plug that fell off at the time of the accident was found in the backyard of a nearby Portland residential area. The door plug weighs about 28kg, so if it fell accidentally, another disaster could have occurred.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.