In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, NTSB Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell ... [+]
After several recent incidents, Boeing is taking corrective action to review its fleet to bolster strength and security. This process began after a travel mishap on January 5, 2024. Other in-air emergencies have occurred since then that are shaking the confidence of commercial airlines and passengers.
Recent Boeing Incidents
Here is a brief summary of the latest incidents since the original event on January 5, 2024, when a plug door fell from a 737-9 MAX aircraft with Alaska Airlines flight 1282:
- March 15: A missing panel was found during a Boeing 737-800 post-flight inspection with United Airlines Flight 433.
- March 13: A blown tire upon landing safely on a Boeing 777 with American Airlines Flight 345.
- March 11: A technical event in the cockpit caused a sudden 300-foot drop on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with LATAM Airlines Flight LA800.
- March 7: A tire fell off during take off on a Boeing 777-200 with United Airlines Flight 35.
- February 6: Stuck rudder pedals upon landing on a Boeing 737-8 MAX with United Airlines Flight 1539.
These controversies are spread across multiple airlines and impact older aircraft too. Thankfully, there have been no fatalities in these last few weeks due to failure on a Boeing plane. However, in fall 2018 in Indonesia and spring 2019 in Ethiopia, two Boeing 737-Max planes crashed, killing 346 people. These tragic incidents led to the grounding of 737-Max planes until late 2020.
Over the past few weeks, the aircraft manufacturer and individual airlines have rolled out various safety measures, including safety stand-downs and in-depth inspections.
For instance, only some incidents stem from a manufacturing process failure, as each airline is responsible for its fleet inspections and maintenance.
Boeing 737-9 Updates
As of this writing, the latest update for the 737-9 corrective actions since the January 5, 2024, plug door incident dates to March 12, 2024.
Some of the highlights include:
- FAA inspectors were on-site at the Renton factory during January and February to audit production and quality control.
- Most non-compliance findings include not following Boeing’s approved processes and procedures.
- Weekly compliance checks for every 737 work cell began on March 1, 2024.
- Per U.S. Congress, an expert panel review spent most of 2023 reviewing Boeing’s Safety Management System (SMS) and issued a 50-page report. A core finding notes complex and frequently changing processes that should be simplified and streamlined.
- Progress so far includes reducing traveled work, stopping a production line, and keeping an airplane in position as necessary.
These corrective actions are hurting the bottom line of domestic airlines. For instance, Southwest Airlines is reducing its capacity forecasts for 2024 and throttling its 737 MAX deliveries in the near term.
Boeing 787 Safety Bulletin
In response to the March 11, 2024, cockpit incident resulting in a sudden drop, the manufacturer sent a safety bulletin to airlines operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This notice suggests that airlines inspect a seat switch at the next maintenance opportunity to prevent a future malfunction.
The investigation for LATAM Flight LA800 is ongoing, and the bulletin doesn’t mention this specific incident since an official cause has yet to be determined.
Airlines are not grounding their 787 Dreamliner fleet to inspect and correct the potential problem. The switch can become stuck, and the seat can continue sliding forward when a pilot is seated. Consequently, the unstoppable forward motion can cause the controls to be pushed in and move the plane downward.
No additional corrective actions are available at this time besides the U.S. Justice Department launching an investigation with the manufacturer to review legal implications.
Summary
It’s still too soon to tell which in-flight incidents are airlines' liability and precisely which ones are due to a manufacturing defect. Regardless, Boeing will need to work hard to recover from a tarnished reputation after multiple incidents during the opening months of 2024.
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