US Grounds Boeing 737s After Door Falls off Mid-Flight
The Facts
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, after part of an Alaska Airlines plane on Friday fell off mid-flight. Passengers stated that shortly after takeoff, a large chunk of the plane's outer shell "as wide as a refrigerator" fell to the ground. The FAA has also ordered the "immediate inspections" of all Max 9s worldwide.
Further passengers onboard Alaska Airlines flight 1282 – which intended to reach Ontario, Calif. before turning back to Portland, Ore. – stated that the force resulting from the detachment of the flight's door plug ripped headrests and seatbacks out of the cabin, blew open the cockpit door and took off the first officer's headset. The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Sunday that a man had found the door plug in his backyard in Portland.
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.