Team-BHP - Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-cabin exit door blows out mid-air, forcing emergency landing

- - Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-cabin exit door blows out mid-air, forcing emergency landing (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/commercial-vehicles/275360-alaska-airlines-boeing-737-9-max-mid-cabin-exit-door-blows-out-mid-air-forcing-emergency-landing-2.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by itwasntme (Post 5695126)

Interestingly, Spicejet was the only Indian player to use the 737 Max 9 predecessor, the 737-900ER but it had the relevant exit door in place being a high density configuration.

https://corporate.spicejet.com/fleet.aspx
https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Sp...-900ER_new.php

Interestingly I have flown this 737-900ER a few weeks back and have sat in the exact seat which is aside the exit door being discussed here. While this one was a fully operational emergency exit door, I am imagining the situation it would have been if anyone was seated in that 737-Max-9 seat. I read someone's earphone blew away and someones shirt tore and flew out, how scary or rather relieved these persons must have been upon touchdown.

Pretty sure I’ve been on the SG 900ERs too probably on the BLR-CCU-GAU routes. I remember them vividly because of the peculiar seat setup between 26 to 29. In fact, I used to actively try for 29A or F as it had XL space without the typical usurious fees.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-cabin exit door blows out mid-air, forcing emergency landing-img_0049.jpeg

https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Sp...-900ER_new.php

In other news: seems Mukesh owns one of the rare 737-Max 9 Boeing Business Jets (BBJ):
https://m.timesofindia.com/business/.../106631217.cms

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-cabin exit door blows out mid-air, forcing emergency landing-img_0050.jpeg

And United has found a bunch of loose bolts in the door plugs :Shockked:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/08/b...-airlines.html

Little confusing why DGCA suddenly ordered all over-wing exit doors on Indian 737 Max aircraft to be inspected. They neither open in the same manner as a mid-cabin door and neither are they a 'door plug'.

Further, as far as I am aware, apart from Mukesh Ambani's 737 Max 9 BBJ, which does hav the 'suspect' door plug, refer picture below, no other Indian carrier (737 Max 8-200 or 900ER) have opted for the plugs to be installed.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/...697804193.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by airbus (Post 5694551)

From the NTSB Media Brief - Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Jan 6):

NTSB is requesting public to help in locating the detached door and also with photographs/videos from inside the plane.

'Thank you Bob': Search for plane's blown-out panel ended by teacher
Source: BBC

Quote:

One of the key missing items, the door plug, was found by a local school teacher named Bob

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-cabin exit door blows out mid-air, forcing emergency landing-_132255279_gdwafwjaqaedplt1.jpg

Quote:

Taking a walk near Barnes Road, another man claimed he found a "perfectly intact" iPhone believed to belong to a passenger.

Sharing photos of his discovery on X, formerly Twitter, game designer Sean Bates said the NTSB told him it was the second phone to be found.

"It was still pretty clean, no scratches on it, sitting under a bush and it didn't have a screen lock on it," Mr Bates said

"I opened it up and it was on airplane mode with a travel confirmation... so I had to go call the NTSB."

The device appeared to display an email receipt for a $70 (£55) checked baggage charge for the flight.

blancolirio is a great channel explaining technical stuff on most aircraft accidents. He has uploaded a video on initial understanding / probable cause of door plug detachment.

This looks like missing bolt/cotter pin (or bolt shear) type situation, which over few takeoffs/landing/turbulence caused the failure. The door plug possibly gets installed, removed and reinstalled as part of manufacturing process.

https://youtu.be/WhfK9jlZK1o
https://youtu.be/ubCQZtLTAug

Japan ANA Boeing 737-800 flight turns back due to cockpit window crack.

A domestic All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight in Japan has returned to its departure airport after a crack was reported on the cockpit window during the flight.

The crack appeared in the outermost of the four layers of window surrounding the cockpit.

The incident was not serious but if left unfixed could have been "pretty dangerous", an aviation expert said.

There were no injuries to anyone on board.

Link:

Quote:

Originally Posted by itwasntme (Post 5698925)

Conflicting reports about what Spirit & Boeing do w.r.t. the door plug:

Boeing performs pressure tests but does not normally adjust Max 9 panels -source

https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...ce-2024-01-13/

Totally astonishing that the mighty triumvirate of Boeing, Spirit and the FAA are still scratching their heads about who is ultimately responsible for that door plug.

Further, will be very interesting to see how the FAA will deal with the looming Max 7 & 10 certifications (and waiver requests)!

Boeing woes continue:

Secretary Antony Blinken’s Boeing 737 out of Davos had a critical failure. He had to switch planes.

Quote:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was forced to change planes to return to Washington from Davos after his plane suffered what the traveling press was told was a critical failure related to an oxygen leak.

Blinken and the traveling party boarded the modified Boeing 737 jet in Zurich on Wednesday after a day and a half of meetings at the global summit in Davos.

The plane suffered the issue after boarding and the party was forced to deplane, according to traveling press.

Quote:

This is just the latest blow to Boeing’s once stellar, now badly tarnished reputation. On Jan. 5 an Alaska Airlines jet had a door plug blow out shortly after takeoff when the plane was at 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the jet.

That Alaska Air plane is a newer version of the 737 than the one that Blinken had been set to ride on, which is an older model modified for use by the military. But the newer version of the 737, the 737 Max, has had a series of serious problems long before the Alaska Air incident this month.

Link:

Nice article, I have an upcoming trip in Akasa and was wondering about its 737 MAX planes. Checked the equipment details again after reading the article above, Akasa seems to be an all MAX 8 fleet while the problem that impacted Alaska is MAX 9 specific.:coldsweat. Glad to know.