by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:25 AM ET, Sat January 6, 2024
Update: January 6, 2024, at 2:16 p.m. ET
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that
specific Boeing 737-9 aircraft would be grounded around the United States after
an Alaska Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing after the
cabin became depressurized due to a door panel coming loose midflight.
According to the FAA’s official X account, the federal
agency issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) that will require all
airlines in the U.S. and its territories to thoroughly inspect each of the
approximately 171 impacted aircraft before being permitted to fly again.
The required inspections are expected to take four to eight
hours per plane.
“The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain
Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator
Mike Whitaker said. “Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we
assist the NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”
Original Text
Alaska Airlines announced it has temporarily grounded
its entire Boeing 737-9 aircraft fleet after one of the planes was forced to
make an emergency landing after the cabin became depressurized.
According to ABC News, Alaska Flight 1282 departed from
Portland, Oregon, on Friday for a journey to Ontario, California, with six crew
members and 171 passengers onboard when the incident occurred.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilots of the plane called
for an emergency landing after the cabin became depressurized due to a door
panel that was not being used ripped off during the trip, leaving a large hole
in the side of the aircraft.
The pilots successfully landed the Alaska plane back in
Portland a short time later.
An ABC aviation expert, John J. Nance, described the
damaged area as a "plug," saying it's a spot in the "fuselage
shaped similar to a door that aren't designed to open, even when the aircraft
is on the ground. They could be converted to doors if the airline needs an
extra boarding door."
"The safety of our guests and employees is always
our primary priority," an Alaska spokesperson said in a statement.
"So while this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and
prepared to safely manage the situation."
As for grounding the carrier's 65 Boeing 737-9
aircraft, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci called the move "precautionary"
and said the planes would be allowed to fly again "only after completion
of full maintenance and safety inspections."
"We are working with Boeing and regulators to
understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is
available," Minicucci told ABC.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has
launched an investigation into the incident, while Boeing officials said the
company has a technical team standing ready to help with the investigation.
"We are aware of the incident involving Alaska
Airlines Flight 1282," Boeing said. "We are working to gather more
information and are in contact with our airline customer."
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