US Federal Aviation Administration Orders "Grounding in the US"
Multiple Major Accidents Shortly After Release...Problematic Aircraft Model
An emergency order to temporarily suspend operations has been issued for the Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft that made an emergency landing after part of its fuselage detached during flight.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the 6th (local time) ordered all flights of Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft operating within the United States or by U.S. airlines to cease operations.
On the 5th, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 Max passenger plane that took off from Portland International Airport in Oregon, was flying toward Ontario, California, when a window broke, and part of the emergency exit door and fuselage were torn off, forcing an emergency return. Fortunately, all 174 passengers and 6 crew members were unharmed. The aircraft returned and landed at Portland International Airport around 5:27 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, just 20 minutes after takeoff.
According to FlightAware flight tracking data, the aircraft flew up to an altitude of 4,876 meters before turning back. The damaged area is known to be located at the rear third of the fuselage behind the wing and engine.
Photos and videos shared on social networking services (SNS) show passengers dangerously exposed to the fuselage with a hole, with oxygen masks deployed in various places. Passengers reported, "There was a very loud noise," and "A boy sitting near the torn fuselage had his shirt sucked out, but his mother held onto him," describing the situation at the time.
Alaska Airlines stated in a press release, "Flight 1282 to Ontario, carrying 174 passengers and 6 crew members, landed safely," and said it is investigating the cause of the accident. The airline also announced that it will conduct safety inspections and maintenance on its 65 aircraft of this model before returning them to service.
However, the FAA and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) decided to issue a flight ban on all aircraft of this model during their investigation of the accident and announced it on the same day.
The Boeing 737-9 Max is a model that had previously been grounded due to a series of major international accidents shortly after its release but was later cleared to resume operations. It has had several issues in the past. On December 28 of last year, an international airline discovered a missing nut on a bolt in the rudder control linkage of this model during a routine inspection and reported it to Boeing. Boeing then requested airlines worldwide to verify the safety of 1,370 aircraft of the same model currently in operation.
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