Blumenthal Demands Swift Answers & Strong Remedies from FAA on Near Catastrophic BOEING 737 MAX 9 Issues

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Following a near catastrophic Alaska Airlines incident and several additional safety concerns involving Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) pressed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for answers on what occurred and what the agency is doing to ensure the safety of fliers.

“I am deeply concerned by last Friday’s near catastrophe on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282,” wrote Blumenthal to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker. “We need a full, thorough investigation and disclosure of findings. I commend the heroic actions of the pilots and flight attendants who delivered all of the plane’s passengers to safety in Portland. The FAA order to ground the Boeing 737 MAX 9 is the least that should be done. I write to demand an answer on how this incident occurred and inquire about what more the FAA is doing to ensure our skies are safe.”

Blumenthal emphasized the repeated safety warnings that seemed to have been ignored about the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 aircraft, stressing: “A serious question the National Transportation Safety Board’s inquiry must answer is whether additional inspection and maintenance should have been done before the aircraft carried passengers anywhere.”

Blumenthal raised additional serious safety concerns that have been found in Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in mandatory inspections since the Alaska Airlines incident, including door plug installation problems and loose bolts, and demanded answers to a series of questions about the FAA’s processes and Boeing aircraft safety, concluding: “In light of these now repeated safety concerns, I seek your assurance that information will be made available publicly before these planes are returned to service.”

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

January 9, 2024

The Honorable Michael Whitaker

Administrator

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C.  20591

Dear Administrator Whitaker,

            I am deeply concerned by last Friday’s near catastrophe on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. We need a full, thorough investigation and disclosure of findings. I commend the heroic actions of the pilots and flight attendants who delivered all of the plane’s passengers to safety in Portland. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) order to ground the Boeing 737 MAX 9 is the least that should be done. I write to demand an answer on how this incident occurred and inquire about what more the FAA is doing to ensure our skies are safe.

            As we all know, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon, headed to Ontario, California, on the evening of Friday, January 5. Shortly into the flight, a mid cabin door plug separated from the plane, causing a “rapid decompression” of the plane’s cabin.[1] Despite the gaping hole in the side of the aircraft and reported communications issue, the pilots and crew were able to return the plane and all of its passengers safely to the ground in Portland.[2]

            Previous signs of trouble with the aircraft put the airline on notice about serious danger. This plane experienced three instances of the auto-pressurization fail light illuminating, including two in the days leading up to the incident.[3] Each time, Alaska Airlines crew checked and reset the light, returning the plane to service. The airline clearly knew something was wrong. It requested additional maintenance on the aircraft and, last Thursday – one day before the incident – restricted the plane to flying over land in case it needed to land quickly.[4] A serious question the National Transportation Safety Board’s inquiry must answer is whether additional inspection and maintenance should have been done before the aircraft carried passengers anywhere.

            This disturbing event is another black mark for Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft fleet and troublingly, appears to be part of a wider pattern. Since the mandatory inspections of Boeing’s 737 MAX 9 began, United Airlines found door plug installation issues, including loose bolts, on its planes. Alaska Airlines has identified additional similar issues.[5]

            In light of these now repeated safety concerns, I seek your assurance that information will be made available publicly before these planes are returned to service. I respectfully request a written response as well to the following questions by January 23, 2024:

1.     This plane was allowed to fly after the auto-pressurization fail light illuminated three times. Was standard protocol followed in addressing the light each time? If so, what steps will the FAA take to update its current fail light response procedures?

2.     How many other instances of the auto-pressurization fail light illuminating on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 have been reported?

3.     The mid cabin door plug in Friday’s incident was reportedly manufactured by Spirit AeroSystems.[6] Boeing has repeatedly run into issues with Spirit AeroSystems: it paused production on the 737 MAX 7, MAX 8, and MAX 8200 after Spirit AeroSystems used a “non-standard manufacturing process” and found holes improperly drilled on the aft pressure bulkhead.[7] Please describe how the FAA ensures that aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers comply with all required standards and what corrective steps are taken when noncompliance is identified.

4.     On January 8, the FAA approved Boeing’s instructions to inspect grounded 737 MAX 9 aircraft and return them to service.[8] Please describe the FAA’s role in this process, including in the aircraft inspections and in validating any corrective measures taken.

5.     As part of the ongoing inspections of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet, how many planes have been identified to have this possible structural flaw?

6.     For any planes identified in Question 5, please describe the repair that will be made to these planes before they return to service.

            Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,