New Delhi
Bureau, Voice 9, International Desk: Late on Sunday, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) announced that they had successfully recovered the crucial component
that was missing from the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet involved in the emergency
landing of an Alaska Airlines flight. The incident occurred when the plug door
on the left side of the aircraft tore off shortly after takeoff from Portland,
Oregon, while en route to Ontario, California.
This
resulted in the plane losing pressure, prompting the pilots to safely return
and land with all passengers and crew unharmed. In response to the incident,
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an order on Saturday to
temporarily ground all 171 Boeing MAX 9 jets equipped with the same panel,
which weighs approximately 60 pounds (27 kg) and covers an optional exit door
primarily used by low-cost airlines.
The missing plug door was discovered on Sunday in the backyard of a suburban home by a Portland school teacher known as "Bob" from the Cedar Hills neighborhood. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed her immense relief upon hearing the news of its recovery.
He had
previously informed journalists that the aircraft part was a crucial missing
piece in determining the cause of the accident. "Our team responsible for
structures will thoroughly examine all the components on the door. They will
analyze witness marks, paint transfer, and the condition of the door when it
was found. This information can provide valuable insights into what
happened," she explained. According to Homendy, the force resulting from
the loss of the plug door was so powerful that it blew open the cockpit door
mid-flight. She emphasized that it must have been an extremely frightening
experience. "The pilots heard a loud bang," Homendy stated, referring
to their interviews with investigators.
During the
incident, a laminated checklist swiftly flew out of the door, while the first
officer lost her headset. "Communication became a major issue... It was
complete chaos," she added. Homendy mentioned that the cockpit voice
recorder did not capture any data as it had been overwritten. She once again
urged regulators to mandate the retrofitting of existing planes with recorders
capable of storing 25 hours of data, an increase from the current requirement
of two hours.
