Shortly after a Boeing 737 MAX 9 passenger plane of Alaska Airlines took off from Portland on the 5th, a closed hatch in the cabin near the left wing fell off. On the 9th, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said that he would take responsibility for Alaska Airlines' previous "near-catastrophic accident".
Boeing said it took responsibility for the accident
Calhoun made the remarks at a Boeing meeting, where he said Boeing would handle every step in a completely transparent manner, working with the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident, to find the cause of the accident, and said Boeing "has a long history of working with the organization." He also said that the Federal Aviation Administration is monitoring and inspecting "to ensure the safety of the next aircraft in the air and that such accidents do not happen again."
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on the 9th that Boeing is revising its previously provided maintenance guidelines based on the feedback received.
On the 7th, Bob Sauer, a local high school physics teacher in Portland, found the detached hatch of the plane in his backyard, and then he reported the situation to the relevant departments. He recalls the process of finding the hatch.
Bob Sauer, a Portland resident who found the hatch detached: It was getting late, so I took my flashlight out and went out to the backyard. It was dark because I planted quite a few trees. Through the flashlight, I could see something flashing white under the tree, which had not been the case before. So, I approached and took a closer look. Obviously, this is part of the plane, it has the same curvature as the fuselage, it has a porthole of the plane and it is white, so it is reflective.
The passengers of the accident flight recalled the moment of shock
Kelly Bartlett was a passenger on the plane that crashed, and on the 8th, she recalled the shocking moment when the incident occurred.
Kelly Bartlett, Passenger of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282: Not long after the crew announced the announcement, we all heard a loud "bang", which was terrible, and the plane was instantly filled with wind and air. It was very noisy, the wind was very strong, the sound was very loud, you could hear the sound of the plane engine outside, and the sound of the air moving inside the plane, because the wind was all coming in. I'm glad nothing worse happened, that's all. I often think back to that scene.
The grounded passenger plane under inspection was exposed
Loose parts are a cause for concern
Although the dislodged hatch of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 has been found, the bolts securing the hatch are still missing, and the investigation is ongoing. At the same time, loose parts were found on some of the same type of aircraft that were grounded for inspection, renewing concerns about their safety.
CLINT, NSC: We found that both rails on the door were broken, and we still haven't found the four bolts that are used to secure the door from moving vertically. We can't yet say for sure whether they exist or not. All of this will not be determined until we send the hatch to the laboratory in Washington, D.C. for examination.
Expert: Loose bolts indicate that Boeing's quality control has hidden dangers
While the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the mystery of the "missing" bolts, on the 8th, United Airlines said in a statement that since the initial inspection of the grounded aircraft began last Saturday, some problems related to the hatch have been found, such as the need to tighten the bolts that have been loosened. One source said United had identified about 10 aircraft with such problems.
Shortly after United's announcement, Alaska Airlines also issued a statement saying that initial reports from the company's technicians showed that some loose parts were found on some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. John Cox, an American aircraft safety expert, believes that there are serious hidden dangers in Boeing's quality control. The Federal Aviation Administration said that the aircraft will remain grounded until the operator completes all inspections.
The grounding caused Boeing's stock price to fall significantly
Boeing's stock price fell significantly this week due to the grounding crisis. At the opening of the U.S. stock market on the 8th, Boeing's stock price fell in response, and its stock price fell by more than 8% at the close. On the 9th, Boeing's stock price continued to fall, falling more than 1.4% at the close.
Experts say that in the short term, the accident may cause global regulators to take a tougher stance on the review of other Boeing 737 MAX models, and in the medium and long term, it is expected to further affect orders and market share of 737 MAX models. (CCTV News Client)