“We are investigating clues to the problem… All steps are handled 100% transparently.”
Explosion accident during flight… Similar defects found in other passenger planes
Boeing’s 737 Max model 9 tore off its fuselage in the sky during operation, and authorities began a full investigation, and Boeing’s CEO announced that he acknowledged the mistake.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 9th (local time), Boeing CEO David Calhoun said in a general meeting held at the 737 factory in Rendon, Washington, “We will admit our mistakes and approach this problem.”
CEO Calhoun said, “We will handle all steps with 100% transparency,” and added, “We will cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the accident itself to determine the cause.”
It was not specifically mentioned what mistake it meant. Other executives were wary of the speculation, and Boeing declined to elaborate.
CEO Calhoun encouraged his employees, saying, “Moments like this shake not only me but the airlines to their core,” and added, “They all trust us, and they will continue to do so.” He added that Boeing engineers were combing through the information for clues to the problem.
Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 took off from Portland, Oregon, USA on the 5th and was flying towards Ontario, California, when a window broke at an altitude of 16,000 feet (approximately 4880m) and the emergency door and part of the fuselage were torn off, 20 minutes after takeoff. An emergency return was made.
There were 174 passengers and 6 crew members on board the plane at the time, and fortunately there were no casualties.
On the 6th, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned the operation of about 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 models used by all U.S. airlines and ordered a full safety-related investigation.
Afterwards, United Airlines also announced on the 8th that it had closely inspected the same model and found similar defects, such as loose bolts in the aircraft’s emergency doors.
NTSB officials told WSJ that they are currently investigating the cause of the accident and that it is too early to determine whether a manufacturing defect led to the Alaska Airlines plane’s explosion.
However, he added that four bolts designed to prevent the door plug from moving were missing, and efforts would be made to check whether the bolts were installed.
Previously, the Boeing 737 Max 8 model was suspended for two years after two crashes occurred on international flights in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.
Boeing has since been criticized by U.S. lawmakers and regulators for disclosing information related to aircraft certification. The Justice Department put a former Boeing pilot on trial on charges of defrauding the FAA, but the jury found him not guilty.
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.