Alaska Airlines accident forces Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet to stay on the ground

Alaska Airlines experienced an emergency that could have had serious consequences for the 177 passengers and crew last Friday, when a piece of the plane broke off mid-air, leading to a grounding order for further inspection of the Boeing 737 Max 9.

The wreckage was found in a residential area of Oregon.

A missing door plug that could be key to the investigation into what caused it to detach from a plane midflight has been found in the backyard of a Portland area resident, officials say. https://t.co/PsFfckvaWy

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 8, 2024

An investigation is now underway into the incident involving Alaska Airlines flight 1282, during which a door plug on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 separated from the aircraft at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Shortly after takeoff, the flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, as the detachment of the plug caused rapid decompression in the cabin.

This situation caused chaos among passengers and crew.

Fortunately, the emergency landing was uneventful. The 171 passengers on board and the six crew members suffered no serious injuries. This incident is just one of many challenges the Boeing 737 Max has faced, including two fatal crashes in five months between 2018 and 2019.

In total, 346 people lost their lives.

The immediate grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9s, which share a similar configuration to the aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines incident, has been ordered. This directive will affect around 171 aircraft worldwide, which will have to undergo an immediate inspection of cabin door plugs, components and fastenings.

The cancellation of several hundred flights has caused major disruption to the networks of both airlines. While the carriers deal with the consequences of these cancellations, customers have been advised to check the status of their flights and consider rebooking.

The airline industry claims that the 737 Max is a reliable aircraft, but the recent incident will do little to reassure an already nervous public…