Design flaws not suspected ‘at this time’ with Boeing Max 9 jets, investigators say
US aviation investigators were on the ground in Oregon on Sunday trying to figure out what caused a door panel to blow out of a brand new Boeing passenger jet just minutes after takeoff, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing with a hole “the size of a refrigerator” in the side of the plane. The American jet maker was facing fresh scrutiny as regulators temporarily grounded the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a section of a plugged exit door on an Alaska Airlines flight detached 16,000ft (4,877 meters) above Portland, Oregon, on Friday with 171 passengers and six crew on board. The weeks-old plane had been modified, requiring fewer emergency exits because it had fewer seats. But investigators – who solicited the public’s help tracking down the Alaska Airlines plane door, which remained missing Sunday – said that initial findings do not suggest a widespread flaw with the Boeing Max 9 aircraft. “We’ll look at the pressurization system, we’ll look at the door, the hinges,” Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said at a news conference. “Do we suspect that there is an overall design problem with this plane based on previous accidents involving Boeing Max? At this time, no.” On Sunday, thousands of passengers, mostly in the US, faced flight cancellations that are expected to continue into next week as airlines called in inspectors to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order. The 737 Max 9 is now Boeing’s largest single-aisle aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 220. But most airlines have chosen fewer seats, which means the jet’s optional extra door is plugged – or covered. It was a section of the covered “extra” door in the fuselage – the main body of the plane which includes the cabin, cockpit and cargo compartments – which blew-out midair.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-01-08/oneworld/design-flaws-not-suspected-2018at-this-time2019-with-boeing-max-9-jets-investigators-say
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Design flaws not suspected ‘at this time’ with Boeing Max 9 jets, investigators say
US aviation investigators were on the ground in Oregon on Sunday trying to figure out what caused a door panel to blow out of a brand new Boeing passenger jet just minutes after takeoff, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing with a hole “the size of a refrigerator” in the side of the plane. The American jet maker was facing fresh scrutiny as regulators temporarily grounded the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a section of a plugged exit door on an Alaska Airlines flight detached 16,000ft (4,877 meters) above Portland, Oregon, on Friday with 171 passengers and six crew on board. The weeks-old plane had been modified, requiring fewer emergency exits because it had fewer seats. But investigators – who solicited the public’s help tracking down the Alaska Airlines plane door, which remained missing Sunday – said that initial findings do not suggest a widespread flaw with the Boeing Max 9 aircraft. “We’ll look at the pressurization system, we’ll look at the door, the hinges,” Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said at a news conference. “Do we suspect that there is an overall design problem with this plane based on previous accidents involving Boeing Max? At this time, no.” On Sunday, thousands of passengers, mostly in the US, faced flight cancellations that are expected to continue into next week as airlines called in inspectors to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order. The 737 Max 9 is now Boeing’s largest single-aisle aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 220. But most airlines have chosen fewer seats, which means the jet’s optional extra door is plugged – or covered. It was a section of the covered “extra” door in the fuselage – the main body of the plane which includes the cabin, cockpit and cargo compartments – which blew-out midair.<br/>
