Alaska Airlines Emergency Landing Raises Concerns Over Boeing 737 MAX 9 Safety

In the aviation incident that has sparked concerns over the safety of Boeing’s 737 MAX 9, Alaska Airlines pilots reported three instances of pressurization warning lights on earlier flights before making an emergency landing due to a torn door plug. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the auto pressurization fails light illuminated on December 7, January 3, and January 4, raising questions about a potential connection to the subsequent rapid depressurization incident.

Following the warnings, Alaska Airlines decided to limit the affected aircraft’s flights over water to Hawaii, ensuring a prompt return to an airport if necessary, according to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by temporarily grounding 171 Boeing MAX 9 jets equipped with the same panel as the Alaskan Airlines plane involved in the emergency landing.

The missing door plug, a crucial piece in the incident, was recovered from a homeowner’s backyard on Sunday evening. Despite efforts to retrieve data from the cockpit voice recorder, Homendy disclosed that it did not capture any information as it had been overwritten, emphasizing the need for regulators to mandate retrofits that allow recorders to capture 25 hours of data, an increase from the current two-hour requirement.

Homendy painted a harrowing picture of the incident, describing the force of the decompression that led to the cockpit door being blown open. The flight deck crew experienced chaos, with a laminated checklist flying out the door and the first officer losing her headset. The FAA’s decision to ground the affected fleet until safety assurances are met underscores the severity of the situation.

Alaska Airlines responded to inquiries about the warning lights, stating that pressurization system write-ups were typical in commercial aviation with large planes. The airline ensured that each write-up was thoroughly evaluated and resolved in compliance with FAA regulations and approved maintenance procedures. Notably, Alaska Airlines has an internal policy to restrict aircraft with multiple maintenance write-ups from long flights over water, a precaution not mandated by the FAA.

While the FAA initially estimated that required inspections would take four to eight hours, the lack of agreed criteria between the FAA and Boeing has delayed the process. Airlines are awaiting detailed instructions for the checks before the affected planes can resume flights. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which has grounded its 79 MAX 9s, faced numerous flight cancellations, impacting travel plans for passengers.

The incident has once again put Boeing under scrutiny as it awaits certification for its MAX 7 and MAX 10 models. This comes in the wake of the global grounding of all MAX planes for 20 months in 2019, following crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia linked to cockpit software issues. With aviation authorities closely monitoring the situation, the focus remains on addressing safety concerns and preventing a recurrence of past tragedies associated with the Boeing 737 MAX.