US Grounds Boeing 737s After Door Falls off Mid-Flight

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The Spin

Narrative A

While thankfully only causing minor injuries, the potential risk involved in the incident that occurred on the Alaska Airlines flight should be discussed from a worst-case scenario perspective. Since the door plug blew out only minutes into the flight, everyone was still buckled; but if it had blown out at a cruising altitude of 30K feet, this could have been a fatal tragedy. An intensive investigation needs to take place.

Narrative B

While no one can doubt the horror of such an incident, particularly for those on board, the FAA and the airlines it oversees have taken every safety measure possible to investigate this matter and fix issues. When the 737 Max 9 is back in the air, passengers should feel safe in knowing that their aircraft has been thoroughly inspected. For now, the only worry anyone should have is over potential flight delays.

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 5% chance that commercial passengers will routinely fly in pilotless planes by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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