The Boeing airliner that lost its door plug mid-flight Friday was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could indicate a pressurization problem came on on three different trips, federal officials revealed on Sunday.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said Alaska Airlines restricted long flights over water so the plane “could return very quickly to an airport” if the warning light went out.
But he also warned that so far there was no known connection between the pressurization light and Friday’s near-disaster when a plug covering an unused exit door flew off the Boeing 737 MAX 9 while traveling 16,000 feet in the air.
The door stopper was found Sunday by a Portland teacher in his backyard.
The Boeing plane was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could indicate a pressurization problem came on on three different trips, federal officials revealed Sunday. Instagram/@strawberrvy via REUTE
The pressurization light issue was revealed when Homendy provided more details about the NTSB investigation into the flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, during a press conference.
The chair described a chaotic scene as the torn off door plug left a hole in the side of the plane.
The cockpit door was flung open, causing the co-pilot to lose his headset and the captain to lose part of his headset, making cockpit-to-cockpit communication nearly impossible. A quick reference checklist also disappeared, he said.
All Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft used by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines were grounded following the incident. AP
“It was described as chaos, very loud between the air and everything happening around it and it was very violent when the rapid decompression and the door were ejected from the plane,” Homendy said.
The plane landed safely at Portland International Airport after diverting back to the airport shortly after takeoff. Miraculously, none of the 171 passengers and six crew members on board were injured.
Homendy called the flight crew’s actions “truly incredible” and “heroic.”
The chair described a chaotic scene as the torn off door plug left a hole in the side of the plane. AP
All Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes used by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines were grounded after the incident as the Federal Aviation Administration began inspections of each. Both airlines are the only ones that use Boeing’s MAX 9.
While 18 of the 65 737 MAX 9 planes used by Alaska Airlines were returned to service on Saturday, they were retired again on Sunday after the company received notice from the FAA that more work may need to be done on the 18 planes. .
As a result, hundreds of flights were canceled over the weekend.
With post cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn