“Craman Countdown” panelists John Lynch and Sheila Kahyaoglu react to the door explosion of an Alaska Airlines Boeing plane mid-flight.
Alaska Airlines is cutting all its Boeing 737-8 MAX flights on January 13 after a mid-air eruption forced an emergency landing in Portland, leaving startled passengers clutching oxygen masks with large holes in the plane. canceled until.
In an online update Wednesday, Alaska Airlines said: The company continues to wait for documentation from Boeing and the FAA to begin inspections of its 737-9 MAX aircraft.
“We regret any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused to our customers due to the grounding of these aircraft. However, the safety of our employees and customers is our top priority and we are pleased to announce that all investigation results have been clarified. We plan to return these aircraft to service only when the aircraft is fully resolved and meets all stringent FAA and State of Alaska standards,'' the update shared online said.
“As of this morning, Alaska Airlines has decided to cancel all 737-9 MAX flights until Saturday, January 13th, while we conduct testing and fully prepare to return to service,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. continued. “This equates to between 110 and 150 flights per day. We hope this measure will provide a little more certainty to our customers and will be able to redirect affected customers to other flights. We are working around the clock.”
This comes after Alaska Airlines had already grounded 65 737-9 MAX planes after a door plug came off on January 5th during Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, Canada. . As a result, a door panel covering an additional emergency exit, operable only on maximum-capacity planes, was blown off just minutes after takeoff at approximately 16,000 feet.
Key parts of Alaska Airlines Boeing plane found in Portland school teacher's backyard
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was bound for Ontario, California, but suffered decompression in Portland, Oregon shortly after takeoff. (Reuters/Reuters Photo)
Officials say explosive depressurization forced crew emergency Landing in Portland. No serious injuries were reported, but the terrifying ordeal was captured in several videos shared online by passengers. Officials said two cellphones, at least one intact and in airplane mode, were found on the ground and a door plug, believed to be a critical component, was recovered from a teacher's backyard at the Polando school.
NTSB investigating whether Alaska Airlines door found in Portland backyard was bolted properly
The NTSB continued its investigation into the incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, by subsequently inspecting the aircraft in Portland, Oregon. (NTSB/FOX News)
“It was a tragic flight for the passengers and crew, but we are grateful that everyone has made a medical recovery,” the airline said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) led the investigation into the incident, with assistance from the State of Alaska's safety and engineering team and Boeing representatives.
At a news conference Monday, NTSB officials said they were investigating whether the door panels were properly bolted.
Investigators are examining a door plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines plane Friday, but it remains unclear whether the panel was properly bolted. (NTSB/FOX News)
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Alaska Airlines reiterated Wednesday that three things need to be in place before testing begins. One is the final multi-operator message (MOM) provided by Boeing, providing details of the FAA-approved inspection of the 737-9 MAX aircraft. The Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) issued by the FAA provides details regarding the approval of an operator's inspection process to ensure compliance with the Airworthiness Directive. The airline said that, as a party to the NTSB investigation, the FAA is working to ensure that the details of the inspection address any findings that may have surfaced during this process, even if they have not yet been made available to the public. It pointed out. The third item listed is “Detailed inspection procedures and processes developed by Alaska Airlines for maintenance technicians to follow to conduct thorough inspections in accordance with FAA specifications.”
