What's happened
Recent incidents involving Boeing 737 Max aircraft have raised significant safety concerns. An Alaska Airlines flight experienced a severe decompression incident, while other airlines faced turbulence-related injuries. Investigations reveal ongoing issues with Boeing's manufacturing practices, prompting scrutiny from regulators and the public.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Alaska Airlines pilot Emily Wiprud described the terrifying moment when a door plug blew off mid-flight, leading to a rapid decompression. She stated, "I didn’t know that there was a hole in the airplane until we landed," emphasizing the chaos onboard. The investigation revealed missing bolts, prompting the FAA to ground similar aircraft. Meanwhile, incidents of turbulence on other airlines, such as Scoot and Turkish Airlines, resulted in injuries, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in the aviation sector. As reported by Business Insider UK, the scrutiny on Boeing has intensified, with whistleblowers alleging quality control issues, leading to a felony charge against the company for deceiving regulators. This situation underscores the need for improved safety measures and accountability in the aviation industry.
How we got here
The Boeing 737 Max has faced scrutiny since two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. Recent incidents, including a January decompression event and turbulence injuries on other flights, have reignited concerns about safety and manufacturing practices at Boeing, leading to investigations by federal authorities.
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Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth largest airline in the United States when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the number of destin
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The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation.
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The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide.
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The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
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Guangzhou, also known as Canton and formerly romanized as Kwangchow, is the capital and most populous city of the province of Guangdong in southern China.
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Space Exploration Technologies Corp., trading as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
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Flightradar24 is a Swedish internet-based service that shows real-time commercial aircraft flight tracking information on a map.