The American airline Alaska Airlines grounded its Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft after the spectacular flight of a window which caused the emergency landing of one of its aircraft with 177 people on board in the United States on Friday evening. -United.
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The incident occurred just after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California. Having taken off at 5:07 p.m. local time, the Boeing 737 MAX-9 returned to its starting point around twenty minutes later. The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (FAA) soberly explained that the aircraft had landed safely after the crew reported a “ pressurization problem “.
But the images shared on social networks suggest the fear that the passengers may have felt. These show a blown-out porthole, with oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling. “ It was really brutal. Barely at altitude, the window front just came off and I only noticed it when the oxygen masks came down “, one of them told the television channel CNN. Another told the daily The New York Times having been awakened by a loud noise during the flight. “ I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the oxygen mask right in front of me “, she explained, “ and I looked to the left and the side panel was gone “. “ The first thing that came to my mind was, “I’m going to die.” »
Alaska Airlines flight #AS1282a Boeing 737 MAX 9, experienced a rapid decompression after the loss of a large panel that included an emergency exit door on the left side of the plane.
The flight made a safe return to Portland (PDX).pic.twitter.com/KH4gs0X4o6— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) January 6, 2024
The boss of Alaska Airlines announced that following this incident, the company decided to ground its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft. “ Each device will only be returned to service upon completion of full maintenance and safety inspections “, he added, estimating that it would take a few days.
A succession of accidents
The National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA and Alaska Airlines each said they were investigating the incident. “The aircraft returned to land safely at Portland International Airport with all 171 passengers and six crew members,” according to a statement from the airline. “ Although this type of incident is rare, our flight crew were trained and prepared to safely handle this situation. », Adds the press release. According to the FAA registry available online, the aircraft was certified in October.
The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has experienced serious accidents and technical difficulties with its 737 MAX in recent years. In December, the manufacturer informed airlines that MAX aircraft needed to be inspected for loose parts in the rudder control system, following the discovery by an international operator of a bolt without a nut during a routine inspection. The aircraft manufacturer then spotted a nut “which was not properly tightened” on an aircraft not yet delivered.
The 737 MAX was grounded for many months around the world after two air disasters involving the aircraft in October 2018 and March 2019, which left 346 dead. The FAA had not authorized the return to service only after changes in the flight control system. More recently, Boeing had to slow down deliveries due to problems with the fuselage, particularly with the aircraft’s rear bulkhead. As of the end of December, Boeing has delivered a total of more than 1,370 units of the 737 MAX and its order book currently stands at more than 4,000.
Read alsoBoeing 737 MAX: the damning conclusions of the American Congress
(With AFP)