FAA grounds 737 Max 9 Aircraft Indefinitely after Alaska Airlines incident

[bPeteb]

Plane loses window mid-flight in Oregon US, airline grounds all Boeing 737-9 aircraft

The incident occurred shortly after take-off and the gaping hole caused the cabin to depressurise.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Lynda2475]

I will continue to avoid this aircraft type, thankfully easily done domestically and worth paying a little more to avoid internationally imo.

Others risk appetites may of course vary.

 

[moa999]

The only new aircraft to arrive for Qantas in the last decade were 787's.

While the broader point remains.

Technically the last five 737s were delivered in the last decade (over the course of 2014).
And a number of 332s were painted or repainted in QF colours over 2014/15 as JQ received it's 788s.

But in terms of narrow bodies we are still seeing the impact at QF of the hump of new deliveries post 9/11 and Ansetts sudden collapse.

 

[moa999]

Only if it's a plug type door. Or a door at all.

All the photos show it pretty clearly as a door and described of the plug-type.

It seems this door is only activated in the LCC/RyanAir (aka Max200 all economy) configurations where you need an additional set of emergency exits.

 

[elanshin]

I guess we'll find out soon if its an isolated QA issue or another design flaw.

Either way Boeing still seemingly don't have their cough together yet.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Did a worker pick up the wrong size screws when putting on the door.
Also good everyone had their seat belts on

 

[DejaBrew]

Discussion underway here and here

 

[Harrison_133]

It is being reported that the aircraft involved, N704AL, had pressurisation issues on two occasions the day prior, and the aircraft was removed from ETOPS flying as a result.

704 is also a new build, delivered to Alaska in November 2023. If you look at the UA and AS MAX-9s that have been cleared and returned to service, they are all older models of the type.

Alaska launches temporary grounding of 737 Max 9 fleet

Alaska Airlines is grounding its 65 737 Max 9 aircraft following a serious incident aboard a brand new Boeing 737 Max 9 that suffered a rapid decompression and an apparent in-flight loss of a mid-aft door and interior sidewall, according to an internal message sent to the airline's pilots. The...

theaircurrent.com

 

[Dismounted]

I found this good technical overview of the mid-cabin doors on the 737

 

[eastwest101]

I found this good technical overview of the mid-cabin doors on the 737

Thanks for that. Hadn't realised there was such a confusing array of options of plugs/deactivated doors/and active doors and different type/categories of doors that are options on the NG -900, -900ER and the Max8-200, Max-9 & Max-10. I suspect that these mid-cabin exit doors will become known as the airlines accountants or the Ryanair option doors.

If that aircraft is only 2 months old, and with that plug buried under the cabin lining it's very unlikely that Alaskan maintenance has been in there fiddling with anything. So that leaves the uncomfortable option being a systematic design flaw in that particular type of plug, or more likely a manufacturing error on the production line.

The other thing that concerns me is the part in that video that explains the various options of the flight deck notification and warning lights and the perhaps idealistic assumption that piots can easily retrain and do a one-day ground course to move between existing NG versions and the variety of different -Max options. I think Boeing has fallen into the trap of trying to cling to old grandfathered certification rules and push an existing airframe beyond its useful life because there are now so many design compromises and variations and complexities that you only need to have one production line worker/spare parts order/aircraft mechanic or pilot have a bad day, and 180-220 people could potentially have a really bad day. This aircraft is probably no safer than the primitive B737-100 and -200 classics that first rolled off the production line in 1969.

I think we will see more issues from all the various options and configurations of these Frankenstein aircraft in the future as they enter service, see more cycles, and get maintained and even modified and reconfigured in the future.

It is actually getting ridiculous now in that it's difficult to even accurately describe all the variants of the current -Max family of aircraft without diving into technical manuals.

 

[Brissy1]

Did a worker pick up the wrong size screws when putting on the door.

Ha as if. Oh yeah, that.

 

[Harrison_133]

"Eighteen of Alaska’s 737-9 MAX aircraft received in-depth inspections as part of heavy maintenance checks and continued in service today until we received the FAA’s EAD."

"These aircraft have now also been pulled from service until details about possible additional maintenance work are confirmed with the FAA. We are in touch with the FAA to determine what, if any, further work is required before these aircraft are returned to service."

Information about Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and our 737-9 MAX fleet - Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report today, Feb. 6, involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. This is part of the NTSB’s established process during an investigation that it continues to lead.

news.alaskaair.com

 

[jakeseven7]

I know these are ongoing and deadly serious issues with the MAX variant but thought a little humour!

 

[jakeseven7]

I think we will see more issues from all the various options and configurations of these frankenstein aircraft

I sadly suspect the same.

I just hope the aircraft variant doesn’t kill anymore innocent passengers as these issues appear.

 

[Berlin]

I know why I continue to avoid this misbuilt aircraft type as long as I can but fear to end to on one sooner or later due to some last minute “equipment change”. Has not happened so far but if it ever does, this will be my first flight in decades when I am actually scared as hell.

Makes me worry about other Boeing types as well though. Enough issues already with some of the 787s and the 777X might even be worse, unless something seriously changes, and I doubt it. Two models that will be much harder to simply “avoid”.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Might be issues for Qantas to consider, too, given they have taken one of the upper deck doors out of operation on the refurbished a380s?

 

[Lynda2475]

Might be issues for Qantas to consider, too, given they have taken one of the upper deck doors out of operation on the refurbished a380s?

I see no reason why Airbus (who have their own designs and operating procedures) should be overly concerned about a failing in the design and/or assembly/maintenance of a Boeing product?

 

[Harrison_133]

From Reddit, a UA MAX-9 door plug inspection:



Source:

https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/190ig8p

 

[openseat]

They say they are inspecting Max 9 aircraft and putting them back into service after inspection, but do they really know what they are looking for? Until they find the plug and the reasons for its failure, they really won't be sure what to look for.

 

[jb747]

All the photos show it pretty clearly as a door and described of the plug-type.

It’s actually a door plug, which isn’t quite the same thing. I know that Boeing are actually describing the doors as being plug type, but it’s pretty marginal, only needing to rise up about an inch (on hinges), before the air loads would win. A real plug door is physically bigger than the hole, and these are not, simply lifting over what are effectively tabs.

There is a lot of difference between the structure of the door, and of the plug. From what I gather, the inspections only involve aircraft with the plug, not those that have the door installed but deactivated. It’s worth noting that only two bolts at the top actually retain the plug. There are stop bolts on the hinge point at the bottom, but the plug is not bolted in, in the same way that a windscreen is (many bolts all the way around). The plug does not have the locks would hold a door (active or otherwise) in place.

It seems this door is only activated in the LCC/RyanAir (aka Max200 all economy) configurations where you need an additional set of emergency exits.

As I see it, at the moment, the door is okay, but the plug is not. A deactivated door is not a plug, and so is also okay.

I found this good technical overview of the mid-cabin doors on the 737

That’s a good find.