Boeing's CEO, Dave Calhoun, has taken responsibility for the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX incident, acknowledging mistakes and vowing transparency in the investigation.
A source told CNN that Boeing believes "the mistake in question" was introduced in the aircraft's manufacturing supply chain. However, it is unclear if Calhoun identified any specific errors during a company presentation.
On 05JAN, Alaska Airlines (Flight 1282) carrying 177 pax made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, when part of the newly delivered Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft detached from the plane, leaving a gaping hole. On 06JAN, the FAA ordered a temporary grounding of the MAX 9 aircraft.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated a potential issue with Boeing's assembly process, specifically citing inadequate bolting of the door as a contributing factor to the incident.
CBC reported that during a safety meeting at Boeing's Renton, Washington factory, Calhoun emphasized that owning the mistake is of utmost importance. He stated, "We're going to approach this - number one - acknowledging our mistake."
U.S. federal investigators report that a door panel on an Alaska Airlines jetliner slid upward and detached. They are examining the possibility that four bolts, intended to secure the panel, may have been absent when the aircraft took off.
The incident has heightened concerns and eroded confidence in the 737 MAX following its involvement in fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. A congressional report labelled Boeing's actions as indicative of a "culture of concealment."
Similar to the omission of MCAS from pilot manuals, Boeing is said to have neglected to apprise pilots that the cockpit door is designed to spring open during rapid decompression events, Simple Flying reports.
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy stated during a media briefing concerning the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 incident that this crucial information was not included in the flight manual. As a result, Boeing will now include the information in the flight manual, which "will hopefully translate into procedures and information for flight attendants and for the crew in the cockpit," Simple Flying reported.
The comments by the NTSB came after Alaska Airlines and United Airlines reported that they both found loose parts in the door plugs of other Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets.
United Airlines found "instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug – for example, bolts that needed additional tightening." According to Air Current, loose bolts were found on at least five aircraft.
Boeing's Calhoun praised the crew of the Alaska Airlines flight, "They train their lives to do that. But you don't know until you know – I hope most never know," he said. "But this crew, they stood the test and they delivered the airplane back home to us."
On 09JAN, the FAA said that Boeing would revise its instructions to carriers for inspections of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft after United Airlines and Alaska Airlines reported finding some loose hardware.
"Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response," the FAA said in a statement.
Inspections can only continue once new instructions are approved, Skift reports.
According to CNN, employees were told that the company's Chief Safety Officer is now in charge of the 737 MAX fleet. Mike Delaney is Boeing's Chief Aerospace Safety Officer.
Regulators have emphasized that the timing of the MAX 9's return to the skies will be determined by passenger safety "not speed."
Boeing said the company will ensure "every next airplane that moves into the sky is in fact safe."
As Open Jaw reported, Canadian airlines don't fly the grounded Boeing 737 MAX 9, but Canadians could still be affected by schedule changes due to cancelled flights on other airlines.
