Boeing asked federal regulators to exempt its new 737 Max 7 model from safety standards, just weeks after the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that an Alaska Airlines flight had a blown-out window panel. As a result, the company ordered the early suspension of Max aircraft operations.
Federal officials said last year that the company had decided to fix a risk in its current Max planes that could cause parts of the engine housing to overheat and break during flight, slamming into windows and causing rapid decompression. He said he is working on it.
While addressing this issue, the FAA is requiring pilots flying Max 8 and Max 9 models to install anti-icing systems in dry conditions to avoid damage that “could result in loss of control of the airplane.” Boeing has not yet responded to requests to limit its use and come up with a permanent fix.
Last month, Boeing asked the FAA to: Exemption from safety standards Those related to the engine intake and anti-icing systems on new Max 7 planes will apply until May 2026. The company needs the exemption to begin delivering new, unannounced small planes to airlines.
Boeing said Friday it is “developing a long-term solution” that could face FAA review.
The overheating issue only affects Boeing's Max, whose engine intake is made of carbon composite material rather than metal.
In 2018, an engine fan blade on an older 737 plane broke during a Southwest Airlines flight, and the hazard caused a fatal accident. A part of the engine housing that was loose came off and hit the window, killing the woman sitting in the window seat.
A Boeing spokesperson told The Associated Press that at the company's request, pilots of the new Max 7 will follow the same guidelines as pilots of current Max planes and refrain from using anti-icing systems.
There have been two major crashes involving the 737 Max since it entered service in 2017.
In 2018, a passenger plane operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board. Five months later, in 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight also crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board.
All Max jets are grounded all over the world Meanwhile, the company was making changes to its automatic flight control system that lowered the plane's nose based on erroneous sensor readings.
The FAA said Saturday that some Boeing 737 aircraft were damaged after large pieces of fuselage exploded in mid-air on an Alaska Airlines flight, sucking out passengers' belongings from a gaping hole and forcing the plan to make an emergency landing. ordered grounding of MAX 9 aircraft. Located in Portland, Oregon.
The grounding involves approximately 171 aircraft worldwide, the agency said.
The FAA said the emergency airworthiness directive “requires operators to inspect aircraft prior to future flights.”
with post wire
