Boeing plane crashes again

A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 lost an exterior panel after landing safely at Rogue Valley Medford International Airport in the northwestern state of Oregon.

The window of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane fell in Portland, Oregon, USA on January 8. Photo: VNA

United Airlines said the plane was carrying 139 passengers and six crew members. The missing panel was only discovered after the plane landed and parked at the gate.

"We will thoroughly inspect the aircraft and make all necessary repairs before returning it to service," United Airlines said in a statement. The airline also said it would investigate to determine the cause of the incident.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane departed from San Francisco.

Last week, a Boeing 737 MAX also operated by United Airlines rolled onto the grass and off the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are jointly investigating the cause.

Boeing has been having a series of problems lately. Boeing is currently under close scrutiny from regulators after a panel exploded on an Alaska Airlines plane. US authorities are also investigating safety and quality standards in Boeing’s manufacturing process.

Earlier, on March 14, an American Airlines Boeing 777 landed safely at Los Angeles Airport in California (USA), after the pilot reported a suspected technical problem. The reason for the emergency landing is unknown.

On March 11, a Boeing 777-300 was forced to return to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport in Australia while en route from Sydney (Australia) to San Francisco (USA) due to a fuel leak.

Just hours earlier, a LATAM Airlines (Chile) Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from Sydney to Auckland (New Zealand) experienced a technical problem, injuring 50 passengers.

Last week, a Boeing 777 en route from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan, was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles due to a fallen landing gear.

Regarding the LATAM Airlines incident, Boeing said it is investigating and urging airlines to check the cockpit switch system. Boeing said it is taking a precautionary measure by reminding 787 operators of the service manual issued in 2017, which includes instructions for checking and maintaining switches on cockpit seats.

LATAM said the crash was caused by an unspecified "technical problem." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal, citing US industry sources, said the incident was caused by clumsiness on the part of a crew member. According to these sources, a flight attendant accidentally pressed a switch on the pilot's seat while serving a meal, causing a mechanical part to push the pilot into the controls, causing the plane to crash. Normally, this switch is covered and not used when the pilot is in the seat.

LAM DIEN

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