- Written by Thomas Mackintosh
- bbc news
WATCH: ‘Journey from Hell’: Inside the plane during the air eruption
A major U.S. airline has grounded dozens of Boeing planes and thousands of passengers are facing flight cancellations after an explosion occurred during a flight over Oregon.
U.S. aviation regulators said Friday that 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes must be grounded for inspection after part of an Alaska Airlines plane fell off.
According to the state of Alaska, flight disruptions are expected to continue into next week. United Airlines grounded 79 planes.
The disruption is likely to primarily affect flights within the United States.
The necessary inspections take approximately four to eight hours per aircraft.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is following the FAA’s approach, but disruption to operations on the continent is expected to be minimal.
EASA said it does not believe any European airlines will operate the Max 9 in a configuration that is subject to the FAA order.
London Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s largest intercontinental airports, said there was no impact on flights.
Most of the affected aircraft are owned by US airlines. United Airlines has grounded all 79 of its Max 9 planes.
The state of Alaska announced Saturday that 160 flights were canceled, affecting about 23,000 passengers.
Other airlines operating the plane have also temporarily suspended operations.
Boeing said it welcomed the FAA’s decision, adding that its team is in close contact with regulators.
During Friday’s incident, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, reached an altitude of 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) when it began an emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.
Passengers said most of the plane’s outer shell fell to the ground shortly after takeoff.
One passenger said the gap was “as wide as a refrigerator,” while another said the wind tore his child’s shirt when the plane made an emergency landing.
Listen: Alaska Airlines distress signal to air traffic control
The plane, carrying 177 passengers and crew, landed safely in Portland. The state of Alaska said several passengers were injured, but their injuries were not serious.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said after the airline voluntarily grounded 65 of its 737 Max 9 planes, “I’m sorry for the people on this flight.” My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry for what you went through.”
“We are very grateful to the pilots and cabin crew for their response,” he added.
The state of Alaska later announced that 160 flights had been canceled as of Saturday afternoon.
The airline returned to service Saturday after 18 of its nine Max planes, or about a quarter, underwent a “thorough inspection as part of a major maintenance inspection,” but following an FAA order. “Flight operations have been suspended.” ”.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it is “in contact with the FAA to determine what, if any, further work is required before these aircraft can return to service.”
It added: “The aircraft involved in Flight 1282 was delivered on October 31st. The part of the aircraft involved in this incident is known as a plug door, a specific panel in the fuselage near the rear of the aircraft.”
The rear cabin center exit door is used in some Max 9 aircraft’s crowded seating configurations to meet evacuation requirements, but is “blocked” on other aircraft, including Alaska flights.
United Airlines announced that it has conducted FAA-required inspections on some of its 737 Max 9 aircraft.
The airline said in a statement that the removal of some aircraft from service is expected to result in around 60 flight cancellations on Saturday.
Turkish Airlines has grounded five 737 Max 9 aircraft.
Flydubai said its three 737 Max 9s are of a “different configuration” than Alaska Airlines’ aircraft and have completed recent safety inspections, so there is no impact.
Britain’s regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said the impact would be “minimal” as there are no Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft registered in the UK.
A CAA spokesperson said: “We have written to all non-UK and foreign licensed airlines asking them to confirm whether inspections have been carried out prior to operating into UK airspace.” Stated.
In the United States, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is in charge of the Alaska investigation, and its chairman confirmed that no passengers were seated next to the affected section.
“We’re really, really lucky that things didn’t turn out to be more tragic,” Jennifer Homendy said.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for the plug door, which they believe fell to the ground in the community of Cedar Hills, about 7 miles west of downtown Portland.
Boeing’s 737 Max has been described as the “most scrutinized transport aircraft in history” after a series of safety issues.
The Max was grounded for a year and a half in March 2019 after two similar planes collided in similar circumstances, killing everyone on board.
Aviation expert John Strickland said the Alaska Airlines crash was very different from those crashes, adding that the 737 MAX has had a “tremendous safety record” since returning to service. .
He told BBC News: “We have very little evidence as to why this part of the fuselage came off, but this has nothing to do with the aircraft being grounded for 18 months.” Ta.
“But it makes sense that Alaska Airlines would take a cautious approach to grounding its aircraft.”
Just recently, Boeing announced it would increase the pace of 737 Max deliveries after resolving a supply glitch that required lengthy inspections of the new plane and inventory.
Approximately 1,300 737 Max aircraft have been delivered to customers, according to Boeing data.
