On Jan. 5, a piece of the fuselage tore off an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The National Transportation Security Board (NTSB) found that the broken part was made in Malaysia. This part was on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet. Now, the NTSB is trying to find out how and where the fault happened.
Alaska Airlines Flight Incident Linked to Malaysian Manufacturing Issue
Investigators are looking into a serious problem with an Alaska Airlines flight. On Jan. 5, part of the outer wall of the plane suddenly ripped off during Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is trying to find out why this happened.
According to Fortune, they discovered that the part that broke was made in Malaysia by a company called Spirit AeroSystems, which works for Boeing. This part, known as a door plug, was on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet.
Jennifer Homendy, the head of the NTSB, said they don't know yet where the mistake happened. It could have been in Malaysia, at Spirit's place in Wichita, or at Boeing's factory near Seattle. Boeing gets a lot of its parts from other companies like Spirit, and these companies have factories all over the world.
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Malaysia is a big player in the airplane part industry, making over $3 billion in 2019. Spirit has a big factory there since 2009. The problem with the Alaska Airlines plane is causing a lot of trouble for Boeing and Spirit. Around 170 planes, mostly used by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, can't fly until they are checked. This incident has also caused problems for Boeing in China, where they were just starting to sell planes again.
Boeing's shares have dropped 18% since the incident with Alaska Airlines, and Spirit's shares have gone down 15%. The NTSB, FAA, and both companies are working hard to figure out what went wrong and to fix it. This incident has raised many concerns about the safety and quality of parts used in airplanes.
Passengers Sue Over Scary Flight Incident
Passengers are suing Alaska Airlines and Boeing after a scary incident on a flight. On Jan. 5, a door part fell off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9. This happened just after the plane left Portland International Airport. The cabin lost pressure and exposed passengers to open air. Thankfully, no one was badly hurt and the plane landed safely.
Four passengers from California and Washington are suing. ABC News reported that they felt great fear, and distress, and even thought they might die. They're suing for pain and trauma caused by the incident. Before this flight, pilots had reported a pressure problem three times, but tests showed nothing wrong. The plane was restricted from flying over water but was still used over land.
The lawsuit in Washington state blames Boeing for a faulty plane and Alaska Airlines for negligence. It also says the plane was dangerous and defective.
NTSB is looking into the incident. After the scare, Alaska Airlines stopped using its Max 9 planes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also checked 171 similar planes worldwide and is watching Boeing's production more closely.
Alaska Airlines has given refunds and cash to passengers for their trouble. The lawsuit aims to make sure this doesn't happen again. Other passengers have also started a class-action lawsuit against Boeing.
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