The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing failed to make sure a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week was safe and manufactured to meet the design that regulators approved. The FAA investigation announced Thursday is focusing on plugs used to fill spots for extra exits when those doors are not … Read more
Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita-based aerospace manufacturer that manufactured the door plug that blew out on the Alaska Airlines flight, declined to comment on the incident. However, in a statement published on its website, Spirit says its “primary focus is the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures we deliver.” The company’s parts have caused … Read more
The Boeing Co. 737 MAX airplane stands outside the company’s manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015. Boeing Co.’s latest 737 airliner is gliding through development with little notice, and that may be the plane’s strongest selling point. The single-aisle 737 family is the company’s largest source of profit, and the … Read more
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted to mistakes by the U.S. plane manufacturer and vowed incidents like the mid-air panel blowout last week can “never happen again.” Calhoun made the remarks to staff at a town hall Tuesday as more than 170 of its 737 Max 9 jets remain grounded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration … Read more
After losing a major contract to Boeing at home, Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier Inc. has won a new deal to sell the U.S. Army up to three of its Global Express 6500 business jets so they can be transformed into an American spy plane prototype. Bombardier won the U.S. Army deal in mid-December, but it … Read more
A door plug that blew out of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282Photo: National Transportation Safety Board (AP) When a door plug blew out from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 just minutes after taking off from Portland, Oregon, it raised several questions about the troubled airliner. Will airlines still be allowed to fly Boeing 737 … Read more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded more than 100 Boeing planes Saturday, after an Alaska Airlines flight suffered an inflight blowout that left a large hole in the side of the aircraft and forced it to make an emergency landing. Here’s what to know about the incident and the ongoing fallout: Alaska Airlines flight experiences … Read more
Image: David J. Phillip (AP) Following the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout last week, airlines have launched independent probes into the airworthiness of their Boeing 737 Max 9 airframes. Investigation into the cause of Friday’s catastrophic failure unveiled the possibility of loose hardware allowing the door plug to become dislodged, shifting upward and disengaging the … Read more
Boeing’s latest 737 MAX crisis deepened on Monday after United Airlines said it had found loose bolts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft, raising new concerns among industry experts about how its best-selling jet family is manufactured. U.S. regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated flight not long … Read more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded more than 100 Boeing planes Saturday, after an Alaska Airlines flight suffered an inflight blowout that left a large hole in the side of the aircraft and forced it to make an emergency landing. Here’s what to know about the incident and the ongoing fallout: Alaska Airlines flight experiences … Read more
