SEATTLE, Washington – Alaska Airlines has come under scrutiny after allowing a Boeing plane with triggered warning lights to continue flying, which led to a mid-air blowout. The company received warnings from the cabin pressurization system on three separate flights, yet still permitted the brand-new Boeing 737 Max 9 to take off.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the warning lights were activated on two consecutive days before the plane suffered a terrifying fuselage blowout on its flight to Hawaii. Although the warnings prompted the company to pause flights over the Pacific, the plane was still allowed to fly over land.
The alarming incident occurred when a plug covering an emergency door tore off the plane mid-flight, causing it to make an emergency landing back in Portland, Oregon. However, no passengers or crew members were seriously injured during the ordeal.
In the aftermath of the incident, both United Airlines and Alaska Airlines discovered loose parts on multiple grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, raising concerns about the manufacturing process for these planes. This prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground 171 Max 9 planes worldwide.
With 79 Max 9 planes, United Airlines has the largest fleet of the aircraft, while Alaska Airlines has 65. Additional concerns have been raised about the 737 Max family of aircraft, as its production process and quality control have come under further scrutiny since two fatal crashes in 2019 led to a global grounding of the entire fleet.
In response to the recent incident, Boeing has assured operators that it will assist in addressing any issues uncovered during inspections. The FAA has also approved a road map for carriers to complete enhanced inspections, including both left and right door plugs, in order to ensure the safety of these aircraft.