The in-flight blowout of a 737 MAX 9 on an Alaska Airlines plane this month was far from the only example of Boeing’s ongoing crisis: As clients inspect their aircraft, they say they are finding more flaws in which the fuselage ripped open midair.
On Saturday, one of these flaws was made extremely apparent at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when the front wheel of a Delta flight to Colombia came off a 757 as it was preparing to take off. Audio from an air-traffic controller reported to the Federal Aviation Administration is a mix of slapstick and horror: “One of your nose tires just came off — it just rolled off the runway behind you.” No one was hurt, Delta apologized for the “inconvenience,” and the passengers boarded another plane to make it safely to Colombia.
The 737 MAX in particular has long been an albatross for Boeing. The nonprofit Foundation for Aviation Safety reports that airlines have filed over 1,800 service-difficulty reports over the past three years warning the FAA about potential safety issues with the plane. But increased scrutiny this month has revealed even more concerns. Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said on Tuesday that an inspection found “many” of the company’s 737 MAX 9’s had loose bolts.
“I’m more than frustrated and disappointed,” Minicucci told NBC News. “My demand on Boeing is, What are they going to do to improve their quality programs in-house?” After the Alaska Airlines incident, United Airlines found loose bolts in its fleet. United CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC this week that the company was considering abandoning its plans to purchase 100 models of the updated 737 MAX 10, which has already been delayed for close to five years.
As federal regulators continue to investigate the Alaska Airlines debacle, problems are being found on more Boeing planes. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefly stranded at Davos after the 737 he was flying on experienced an oxygen leak. On Sunday, the FAA recommended that airlines extend their door-plug inspections to another Boeing model, the 737-900ER. Investigators reportedly believe that poorly installed door plugs — panels bolted and pinned on to cover up unused exit doors — caused the panel on the Alaska Airlines plane to rip open mid-flight. The Seattle Times reported on Wednesday that Boeing mechanics had installed the faulty panel.
For his company’s latest crisis, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun had lots of metaphors to choose from — say, fixing the plane while flying it. But following a meeting with senators about the 737 MAX’s problems, he told Fox News that “we fully understand the gravity there.” Perhaps he should have used a different word.
