Following an incident on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on January 6 in which a door plug became detached from a 737 MAX 9 (leading to a rapid decompression of the cabin), several updates have been issued by agencies and airlines around the world.
Speaking in a media briefing, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy confirmed that investigative teams are “excited” to have recovered the door plug panel blown out of the aircraft during the “explosive decompression,” which was located in an Oregon resident’s back yard. This crucial component (described as measuring 26 x 48in and weighing 63lbs) will assist investigators who are currently in their second day of piecing together evidence, with Homedy noting there is “a lot of information we still have to collect and document”.
However, ongoing investigations may be hampered by the NTSB’s failure to recover the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) device, which as per current FAA regulations was wiped clean after two hours. Calling on the FAA to take action on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) filed in December 2023, Homedy described the proposed extension of mandated recording retention from two to 25 hours as essential; adding that she “cannot emphasize how important that is for safety”.
In its current iteration, the proposed legislative change would only apply to what the FAA describes as ‘all future manufactured aircraft,’ something the NTSB would like to see amended to encompass all current airframes. “If the FAA won’t do it, we hope congress will take action in the new FAA reauthorization bill to make sure that it does,” concluded Homedy.
The NTSB also highlighted a potential issue arising with Alaskan aircraft’s auto-pressurisation failure warning light that had illuminated in three previous flights (on December 7, January 3 and January 4). On each occasion (at least one of which was confirmed to have been whilst airborne), the switch was flipped to its backup position before being tested and reset by maintenance personnel.
Although these instances were reported to the NTSB as being “benign,” the NTSB confirmed that additional maintenance on the light ordered by Alaska had not been completed at the time of the incident. Additionally, an ETOPS (extended-range twin-engine performance standards restriction) had prevented the affected airframe from overflying water on the route to Hawaii.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adopted the FAA’s emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) as of January 6, although as all 737-9 aircraft operating in Europe utilise a different fuselage configuration [in the specific set-up covered by the EAD, a mid-cabin exit is replaced by a plug-in panel], they ‘are therefore not grounded by the EAD and continue to operate normally,’ confirmed EASA.
Under the FAA EAD, at least 171 affected aircraft requiring ‘immediate inspection’ are currently grounded. Affected airlines operating the MAX 9 in the specific configuration include Alaska, United, Turkish and Copa airlines, with certain Boeing BBJs also potentially affected.
In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on January 6, United Airlines confirmed it has “temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection required by the FAA.” An update added that these inspections have expanded to include all of United’s MAX 9 aircraft, with flights operated by the MAX 8 variant unaffected.
Responding to Airline Economics, United confirmed that 90 and 180 flights have been cancelled on Saturday and Sunday respectively, although nearly 145 have been saved by switching to other aircraft types. “We’ve begun steps such as removing the inner panel to access the emergency door, and begun preliminary inspections while awaiting further instructions,” said an airline spokesperson, adding that the next step for carrying out the FAA’s emergency AD is for Boeing to issue a Multi-Operator Message. Inspections can be completed after final procedures are received from the FAA.
In a statement dated January 6, Copa Airlines confirmed that, following the FAA Airworthiness Directive, it had temporarily suspended the operations of its 21 MAX 9 aircraft until they undergo the required technical inspection. “Copa has initiated the necessary technical inspections and expects to return these aircraft safely and reliably to the flight schedule within the next 24 hours,” confirmed the flag carrier of Panama, which also noted it was making “every effort to provide timely information and support to passengers affected by this situation”.
EASA adds it remains ‘in contact with the FAA on this matter and will follow the investigation into the Alaska Airlines event closely’.