Boeing is still dealing with the fallout from the near-midair disaster last week when a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California. It led to the temporary grounding of dozens of flights using the 737 Max 9. Once the airlines began inspections, it was discovered that screws needed tightening on some models. That led to the Federal Aviation Administration increasing its oversight of Boeing’s manufacturing and production process. While under investigation, the FAA opted to indefinitely ground all 737 Max 9 airliners (via NY Post):
The grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was extended indefinitely pending new safety inspections and a review of the findings after a cabin panel flew off one of the jets last week, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday.
The continued grounding, which has affected 171 jets, followed a horrifying Jan. 5 incident in which a door plug on an Alaskan Airlines plane suddenly broke off mid-flight while the aircraft was 16,000 feet in the air, forcing the flight to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
“We are working to make sure nothing like this happens again,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Fox Business.
“Our only concern is the safety of American travelers and the Boeing 737-9 Max will not return to the skies until we are entirely satisfied it is safe.”
This announcement will certainly create havoc for travelers, especially as a polar vortex and accompanying winter storms are expected to descend into the lower 48. While not the same model, a Japanese airliner using a Boeing aircraft was forced down when it was discovered there was a crack in the cockpit window (via Guardian):
A domestic flight of Japan’s All Nippon Airways returned to its departure airport on Saturday after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft midair, a spokesperson for the airline said.
Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, the spokesperson said, adding there were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew.
The aircraft was not one of Boeing’s 737 Max 9 airplanes. These have been in the spotlight after a cabin panel broke off a new Alaska Airlines jet in mid-air last week.
It's not a good time for Boeing right now.