Boeing CEO: We ‘acknowledge mistakes’ after in-flight blowout
- Door plug of Alaska Airlines plane flew off midflight last week
- No one was injured, but jet had to be emergency landed
- Boeing 737 Max 9s are now grounded until FAA says they can safely operate
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 6: An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane sits at a gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on January 6, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. Alaska Airlines grounded its 737 MAX 9 planes after part of a fuselage blew off during a flight from Portland Oregon to Ontario, California. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the company “acknowledges” its mistakes and is now working with authorities as they investigate what caused a door plug to blow off an Alaska Airlines plane midflight last week.
No one was seriously hurt, according to Reuters, but the Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a large panel from its fuselage, forcing pilots into an emergency landing.
After seeing a photograph of the plane, Calhoun said it’s all he can think about in a video posted on Boeing’s website Tuesday.
“When I got that picture, I didn’t know what happened to whoever was supposed to be in the seat next to the hole in that airplane,” Calhoun told employees. “I’ve got kids, I’ve got grandkids, and so do you. This stuff matters. Every detail matters.”
Calhoun said he didn’t mean for his remarks to be a “lecture” for workers but rather a “reminder of the seriousness with which we have to approach our work.”
Calling it a “very tumultuous moment” in a “very scary circumstance,” Calhoun applauded the Alaska Airlines pilot and crew who helped get the plane down.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board started an investigation into what happened, which the Associated Press writes could take a year or longer.
Calhoun pledged to approach this process with “100% complete transparency every step of the way,” adding that he trusts the NTSB.
“This event can never happen again,” Calhoun said. “We’re starting from a very anxious moment with our customers. We have to deal with that reality.”
On Tuesday, the White House weighed in, with spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre saying that all travelers have a right to feel safe, as reported by Reuters.
“In that spirit, these particular Boeing aircraft will remain grounded until operators completely complete enhanced inspections,” Jean-Pierre said.
Every Boeing 737 Max 9 with a plug door will remain grounded until the Federal Aviation Administration finds they can return safely to operation, the agency said.
The Max, Reuters wrote, had already been under public scrutiny following two earlier fatal crashes, both traced to a design fault that was subsequently fixed. However, the jet still has numerous production and quality control issues.
Reuters contributed to this story.