The Max, the Latest Version of Boeing’s 737, and the Problem of the Alaska Flight: A Keyes-Kayak Discussion
The Max — of which there are two models flying, the 8 and larger 9, and two more in development — is the latest version of Boeing’s half-century-old 737. Two Max 8 jets crashed in the last couple of years, killing more than 300 people, and the plane has faced manufacturing quality problems since then.
The public will forget once the FAA clears the planes to fly, Keyes said. Within six months, he predicted, few people will be paying attention to the aircraft type when booking a flight.
Kayak said that after the Alaska flight blew up, it saw a threefold increase in people looking for an alternative type of plane. The jump — from low numbers, a Kayak spokeswoman acknowledged — led the site to make its airplane-type filter easier to find.
“We will see our way through to that, but we need to know that we are starting from a very anxious moment for our customers,” he told the Boeing employees.
“Moments like this shake you to the bone, so Boeing has to assure airlines that the planes are safe,” he said.
The company acknowledged its mistake and said that this event will not happen again, according to the employee’s note.
The plug on the Alaska plane was installed by a supplier of Boeing, but investigators have not said which employee last worked on the plug.
What Happened to the Boeing Door Plugs in the Decline of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 Jet Over Oregon? An Independent Aviation Analyst’s Perspective
Boeing said Wednesday that it was updating inspection procedures based on comments from FAA and the airlines, and the FAA repeated an earlier pledge to let safety determine when the planes fly again. They wouldn’t say how long that would take.
After Alaska and United reports of loose bolts in the panel doors of many other Max 9s, the guidelines were revised and soon thereafter there were reports of other problems.
Initial findings suggest this year’s incident may have been caused by loose bolts and “quality control issues” with the part that came loose—a plug that had been attached to the plane to fill an unused door hole.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines said Wednesday that it would cancel 110 to 150 flights a day while the Max 9 planes remain grounded. By late afternoon, Alaska had canceled about 125 flights — one-fifth of its schedule for the day.
“We hope this action provides guests with a little more certainty, and we are working around the clock to reaccommodate impacted guests on other flights,” the airline said on its website.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Max 9s in the United States on Saturday, the day after a panel called a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines jet over Oregon, leaving a hole in the side of the plane. Extra doors that are used on Max 9s are replaced with a plug.
Robert Mann Jr., an independent aviation analyst, wonders if the latest issues with the model 9 are instead related to the supplier or the plane’s manufacturing. The editor at Airline Weekly shared a photo of bolt anomalies that are unacceptable, according to him. “If I found that on my car, I’d be livid, and it would make me wonder: What else might be there that’s problematic?”
When contacted by WIRED, Boeing spokesperson Jim Proulx declined to comment on this, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). “Safety is our top priority, and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a January 6 statement.
Subsequent reporting appears to indicate similar door plug problems on other model 9s. A photograph shared on social media purportedly showed one of United Airlines’ model 9 fleet with screws that weren’t fully screwed into place on door plugs.
What is it about the third Boeing 737 Max issue that makes it different from the others? Flying at 16,000 feet shortly after taking off in Oregon on January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was still climbing when part of the plane’s body detached, leaving passengers looking out at clear air. The incident raises serious concerns about the viability of this type of plane and the industry’s method of assuring aircraft safety.