US Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane makes emergency landing due to flight accident

U.S. aviation regulators took decisive action and grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for mandatory safety inspections after an Alaska Airlines plane control panel exploded. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Saturday that immediate inspections are required before the planes can resume flying. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stressed that safety remains the top priority as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the incident involving Flight 1282.

The Alaska Airlines plane, which was just eight weeks old, was en route from Portland to Ontario, California when it tore the left side of its fuselage. This resulted in an emergency landing and all 171 passengers and 6 crew members returned safely to Portland. The FAA flight ban, while not an indefinite ban, highlights ongoing safety concerns as Boeing seeks to recover from previous crises.

Boeing’s 737 MAX family of planes had previously been grounded globally for nearly two years after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, believed to have been caused by cockpit software glitches. The latest accident comes as Boeing works to address production and quality issues, although there was no immediate indication of the cause or any injuries related to the explosion.

Alaska Airlines proactively began grounding Boeing aircraft for inspections, and as of Saturday morning more than a quarter of the inspections had been completed with no issues found. The airline, which faced 101 flight cancellations on Saturday, hopes its fleet of 65 similar aircraft can resume operations soon after maintenance and safety inspections.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team of experts to examine the structural, operational and system integrity of the affected aircraft. In the meantime, Boeing is gathering information and coordinating with airlines. Airstream reported that the plane had shown signs of pressurization problems the day before the accident.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged the crew’s skills in emergency management, while aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse emphasized the importance of wearing seat belts on flights .

Chinese aviation authorities are said to be reviewing their response to the incident, which could affect operations of the MAX fleet in China. Last week, Boeing recommended checking for potential loose bolts in the 737 MAX rudder control system, and the FAA is keeping a close eye on the issue.

The 737’s fuselage is built by Spirit AeroSystems, which has referred questions about the incident to Boeing. The exact assembly process of the aircraft parts involved in the explosion remains unclear. Boeing has not yet responded to questions about the assembly of that part of the plane.

Reuters contributed to this article.

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