With the stunning scene of the 737 MAX 9 aircraft of Alaska Airlines experiencing an "open cockpit door", manufacturing giant Boeing has once again returned to the center of controversy. After a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft of Alaska Airlines suffered side damage during flight, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States and European regulatory agencies ordered all airlines to ground the aircraft. This scene is reminiscent of 2019, when the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which experienced two air accidents in less than five months, was grounded by multiple national airlines and lost billions of yuan.
Grounded again
After the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States ordered a temporary suspension of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for safety checks on January 6th, the European Aviation Safety Agency decided to take the same measures. Reuters reported on January 7th, citing the European Aviation Safety Agency, that the aviation safety regulatory agency has adopted the Federal Aviation Administration's emergency airworthiness directive for Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
In addition to grounding, British aviation safety regulators also require Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operators to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration's grounding and inspection instructions before entering British airspace. The Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority has issued a notice that all airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX series aircraft in the local area must conduct safety inspections before the 10th.
Earlier on the evening of the 5th local time, shortly after taking off from Portland, Oregon, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, an emergency hatch suddenly detached from the fuselage, causing an instant loss of pressure in the cabin. The aircraft immediately made an emergency landing without causing any casualties.
According to the passenger recollection of the involved aircraft, the dropped components were as wide as the refrigerator and were about two-thirds the height of the refrigerator. "There was a loud noise coming from the left side of the plane, and all the oxygen masks popped out. I heard that a child sitting in that row was sucked out of the fuselage, but fortunately his mother hugged him tightly and he didn't have any problems."
Subsequently, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States ordered a temporary suspension of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operated by American airlines or within the United States for safety inspections. This emergency airworthiness directive will affect approximately 171 aircraft.
According to AFP, the global sales volume of Boeing 737 MAX 9 has reached 218 so far, most of which are operated by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, while a few are operated by Icelandic Airlines and Türkiye Airlines. The European Aviation Safety Agency stated that airlines from EU member states currently do not operate aircraft with the same configuration as the accident aircraft.
At present, Türkiye Airlines, Mexico Airlines and Panama Airlines have also announced the grounding of this model. Icelandic Airlines stated that the Boeing 737 MAX 9 it operates has a different configuration than the aircraft model ordered to be grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Commission of the United States have stated that they will investigate the accident. Boeing stated that it has been informed of the accident and is collecting more information to cooperate with the investigation. On January 6th local time, Boeing issued a statement on its official website regarding the inspection of the 737-9 aircraft model: "Safety is our top priority, and we deeply regret the impact this incident has had on its customers and passengers. We agree and fully support the decision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to immediately inspect the 737-9 aircraft model with the same configuration as the affected aircraft."
Boosting problem?
It is reported that the 737 MAX 9 aircraft operating this flight is only 0.3 years old, with registration number N704AL. The New York Times reported that the aircraft was certified in November 2023 and put into commercial service that month. Since then, it has operated 145 flights. Industry insiders have told Beijing Business Daily reporters that there are currently no Boeing 737MAX9 grounded models among domestic airlines in China, which has little impact on the country at present.
The 24-hour flight radar website stated that the cabin door dropped by the aircraft in question was located at the rear of the wing and could be used as an alternative door for emergency evacuation in densely populated areas. However, the cabin door of the aircraft in question was permanently closed. Reuters reported that the doors of Alaska Airlines' aircraft are permanently "inactive".
On January 6th local time, the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States held a press conference on the Boeing 737-9 cabin door detachment accident, calling on the public to help search for the detached cabin door. The organization is working to identify the cause of the accident. NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homandy revealed at the press conference that the two seats closest to the affected cabin door were empty at the time, and "very fortunately, this accident did not ultimately lead to a greater tragedy.".
Homandy stated that the NTSB investigation will include the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight measures against Boeing and the manufacturing process of affected aircraft models. She emphasized that NTSB will not rule out any possibility until the relevant cause is identified. NTSB stated that the black box of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 will be sent to the laboratory on Sunday local time.
Jeffrey Aviation analyst Hila Kahaogru stated in a research report that the 737 MAX 9 aircraft involved in the accident experienced two pressurization issues on January 4th. The warning light came on, prompting the airline to remove the aircraft from the extended range operating routes (ETOPs) of twin engine aircraft. Later that day, during another flight, the lights lit up again.
There was already an alarm
Public information shows that the Boeing 737 MAX series aircraft are the latest generation of single channel narrow body passenger planes, including the Boeing 737 MAX 7, Boeing 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 9, 737 MAX 10, and Boeing 737 MAX 200. The first aircraft made its debut on December 8, 2015 and completed its maiden flight on January 29, 2016.
As a best-selling model, the 737 MAX model has experienced frequent accidents in recent years. From October 2018 to March 2019, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft experienced two crashes with Lion Air Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines within five months, resulting in a total of 346 deaths. The model subsequently grounded globally for nearly two years and obtained a go around permit from the United States in November 2020. According to reports, this crisis caused Boeing to lose $20.7 billion.
However, the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft involved in the previous air crash was the 737 MAX 8, while Alaska Airlines had the 737 MAX 9 aircraft involved in this accident, which is not the same aircraft. Regarding the cause and impact of the accident, a reporter from Beijing Business Daily contacted Boeing, but as of the time of publication, no response has been received.
Previously, there were investigation reports showing that after two air accidents involving the Boeing 737 MAX model, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States continued to allow the aircraft to fly despite warnings from internal personnel regarding its safety. On April 29, 2023, the Associated Press reported, citing a report from the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation, that after the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft by Ethiopian Airlines in March 2019, some engineers from the Seattle branch of the Federal Aviation Administration suggested grounding the 737 MAX series aircraft because the crash had "similarities" with the same model of aircraft crashed by Lion Air Indonesia in October of the previous year.
According to the report, one of the engineers preliminarily estimated that the probability of the 737 MAX aircraft crashing again is 13 times the risk limit allowed by the Federal Aviation Administration; An aviation official suggested that based on the analysis results, if no improvements are made to this series of aircraft, the probability of accidents occurring within 60 days is 25%. However, officials from the Aviation Administration headquarters and Seattle branch did not adopt the grounding proposal, citing the need to wait for more detailed data.