On Monday, January 8, 2024, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 airplane was forced to land at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.
According to a statement from United Airlines, which CNBC obtained, since we started our preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have discovered incidents that seem to be related to installation problems in the door plug, such as bolts that need extra tightening. "Our Tech Ops team will address these findings and safely put the aircraft back into service."
Airlines were urged by Boeing to assess the Max 9s in their fleets sooner. As to the statement released by Boeing, "We are dedicated to making sure every Boeing aircraft satisfies design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards." "We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused our clients and their passengers."
The current mishap did not result in any significant injuries. But the force generated by the blowout panel was so great that certain headrests and seat backs were torn from the cabin. According to preliminary information from a government safety inquiry, the cockpit door was also forcefully thrown open. Luckily, none of the passengers occupied the two seats adjacent to the panel that would eventually burst.
The event may have had a far greater effect at cruise altitude, when staff and passengers often wander around the cabin, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the missing component that flew off was eventually discovered in a Portland garden. As previously stated by NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy during a press conference, Bob, a Portland school teacher, called the agency after discovering the component in his yard, CNN reports.
