Key Facts about Boeing and Alaska Air Flight 1282
Boeing and US air travel continue to grapple with the aftermath of an alarming in-flight door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 This incident has led to significant flight cancellations, FAA audits of Boeing, a class action lawsuit, and raised concerns among aviation experts regarding the design of the door plug
A week after the in-flight door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, both Boeing and US air travel are still dealing with the aftermath. The door plug, a portion of the plane's fuselage that can be used instead of an emergency exit door, detached from the plane and was later discovered in an Oregon backyard.
As of Friday, there are still 171 Boeing Max 9s grounded in the United States as Alaska and United airlines await updated emergency inspection guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA announced on Thursday that it is launching an investigation into Boeing's quality control following the failure of the door plug. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting its own separate investigation from the FAA.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun conceded in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday that the door plug failure was a "terrible lapse" in its manufacturing and quality control processes.
When asked about the incident, Calhoun told CNBC, "What happened is exactly what you saw, a fuselage plug blew out. That's the mistake, it can never happen."
Here are the latest updates on Boeing and the effects of Alaska Air flight 1282.
Major cancellations throughout the US
Friday saw the United States experiencing the highest number of cancellations in six months, attributed to a combination of winter weather and ongoing grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. By Friday afternoon, there were over 2,000 cancellations.
The majority of the cancellations are a result of a heavy winter storm affecting the Midwest. Chicago's primary airports, OHare and Midway, are experiencing the largest number of cancellations, accounting for nearly 40% and over 60% of departing flights, respectively, as reported by FlightAware on Friday afternoon.
On top of the storm, the grounding of 737 Max 9 planes has further compounded the issue. United and Alaska Airlines have had to cancel more than 200 flights each day this week due to the FAA-mandated grounding that occurred last Friday. Efforts are still ongoing between the FAA and Boeing to establish an inspection protocol that would permit these planes to resume flying.
FAA audits Boeing
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday its audit of the Boeing 737 Max 9 "production line and its suppliers" will focus on quality control.
The audit will evaluate the "safety risks associated with delegated authority and quality oversight," a practice that FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated "needs to be re-evaluated." Whitaker mentioned that the agency is also contemplating the involvement of a third party in the audit.
Class action lawsuit
A class action lawsuit was filed Thursday in Washington state against Boeing on behalf of the passengers aboard last weeks Alaska Airlines flight 1282.
The lawsuits allege that the event caused physical injuries to some passengers and emotional trauma to most, if not all, on board. The violence of the event left some passengers with physical bruises, while others were shocked, terrorized, and confused, feeling as though they were living in a waking nightmare and unsure if they would survive. Plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit claimed to have suffered injuries such as difficulty breathing, concussions, and loss of hearing.
Besides injuries, the plaintiff also sought compensation for expenses related to medical evaluations and treatments, travel costs, ticket fees, canceled travel plans, lost personal belongings, and lost wages. The lawsuit is seeking a trial to assess the extent of the damages.
Boeing did not have comment.
Aviation experts question door plug design
Aviation experts have raised concerns about the structural design of the Boeing 737 Max 9 following the incident where a section of the plane blew off. In interviews with CNN, experts suggested that a larger door plug designed to be installed inside the plane could have prevented the situation on the Alaska Airlines flight. However, they acknowledged that this design may come with added costs and practical disadvantages.
David Soucie, a former FAA safety inspector and CNN analyst, expressed confusion over the decision to install the plug in a way that it can come out unless there is a structural failure in the airframe. "It doesn't make sense to me why they would do it that way," he said. "Historically, emergency exits are designed to come inward⦠so why would they have not done the same thing with this plug?" This report also includes contributions from CNNs Joe Sutton, Pete Muntean, Curt Devine, and Ross Levitt.
