Attention to detail is of utmost importance in the Air Force. Failing to pay close enough attention could have catastrophic repercussions – for instance forgetting an important bolt needed for flight.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun responded to the midair panel blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines plane on Tuesday by publicly acknowledging their mistake and assuring employees they will collaborate with regulators to prevent another incident from reoccurring.
What Happened?
A teacher near Portland Oregon discovered on Sunday a 63-pound, 4-foot-long panel from an Alaska Airlines plane which fell off during flight and later found it in his backyard, providing vital clues as to what occurred. Investigators are now in possession of this key piece of evidence which should provide insight into what transpired.
Friday’s Boeing 737 Max 9 flight had an optional rear mid-cabin door fitted. When this component suddenly separated at relatively low altitude, passengers managed to safely land an emergency landing with no injuries being reported.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, described it as an “incredibly chaotic and terrifying situation.” According to Homendy, force from the explosion caused laminated checklists and first officer headsets to fly from their cockpits during a blowout resulting in Alaska Airlines and United canceled numerous flights using those jets as soon as they became groundbound for inspection by FAA officials – marking an embarrassing setback for Boeing after two deadly accidents with this series of planes in two years’ time.
The Story So Far
On Friday morning during takeoff from Portland, Oregon, Boeing’s 737 Max plane experienced an engine fire, leading to damage in its fuselage which has drawn attention of investors and regulators worldwide. This incident has highlighted one of the world’s leading industrial companies for investors and regulators alike.
The incident has also raised new concerns regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s longstanding practice of allowing manufacturers to certify their own aircraft as safe to fly; they lack an appetite to change this practice and Congress has rejected calls for change.
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems must answer for this incident, which resulted in Alaska and United suspending flights of their Max planes until replacement parts arrive. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what caused a panel blowout – such as maintenance neglect – leading to its collapse.
As the National Transportation Safety Board investigates, Boeing could suffer in terms of both reputational damage and delays in delivering new planes to airlines – both of which will diminish growth prospects, particularly since Airbus leads in market share.
What’s Next?
Boeing faces an uphill climb to win back customer trust after Alaska Airlines plane suffered midair panel malfunction on Friday, prompting 171 Boeing 737 Max jets to be grounded as a result.
Boeing’s CEO assured staff that safety remains their highest priority and collaborated with regulators to prevent another incident from reoccurring, while also acknowledging their difficult communication tasks ahead.
The midair incident brought renewed focus to Boeing’s new-design jet to replace its aging 737 models; an effort already beset with difficulties such as production delays and need for advanced digital tools for design and manufacturing.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal addressed employees alongside Calhoun and reiterated the difficulty in raising output while upholding quality as an issue facing his company. Deal expressed full trust in Boeing engineers and stated he firmly believed in taking any measures necessary to bring back Max 9 flights as soon as possible.
The Bottom Line
Accident on Friday night of an Alaska Airlines plane flying between Portland and California from Oregon has again focused investor and regulatory scrutiny on Boeing’s issues with their 737 MAX family of jets. The FAA immediately grounded 171 of these jets; on Sunday a high school teacher located the missing panel in his Portland backyard – raising concerns that Boeing might not deliver quality aircraft that airlines need to meet growing air travel demand.
CEO Dave Calhoun met with employees at Boeing’s Renton, Washington 737 factory on Tuesday and stressed the need to acknowledge mistakes to reassure customers and work with the National Transportation Safety Board as it attempts to determine what went wrong on Friday. He commended crewmembers aboard for acting swiftly in returning safely back home, thanking them for their service in returning safely back home.
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