‘Loose hardware’ found on more Alaska Airlines 737-9 Max 9 planes after mid-flight blowout
Alaska Airlines has said more “loose hardware” has been found on some of its Boeing 737-9 Max fleet of aircraft.
It follows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounding all 171 737-9 Max planes operated by US airlines after a window and chunk of fuselage blew out of one Alaska Airlines aircraft on 5 January shortly after it took off from an airport in Portland, Oregon.
Six crew members were seriously injured after the door plug – used to replace an exit that would be installed on planes configured to carry more passengers – tore off around six minutes into the flight to Ontario, California, causing depressurisation and forcing pilots to turn back.
In its latest statement the airline said: “Initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft”.
It added that all aircraft were being “thoroughly inspected in accordance with detailed instructions provided by the FAA in consultation with Boeing”.
On Monday, United Airlines reported it has found loose bolts on plug doors on multiple 737-9 Max aircraft during inspections.
So far United found nearly 10 planes with loose bolts during its preliminary checks, according to a source, up from an initial five first reported by industry publication The Air Current, and the figure may increase.
Pic: Instagram/@strawberrvy
Earlier, investigators said crew on the plane that lost its door plug had reported that the auto-pressurisation fail light lit up on the same aircraft on 7 December last year and 3 and 4 January this year.
After those warnings, the airline chose to ban the aircraft from making long flights over water to Hawaii, in case it needed to turn back to an airport, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
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The NTSB has said it is unclear if there is any connection between those incidents and the accident, but it will be able to determine if the door plug that flew out was properly bolted to the fuselage, or indeed if bolts existed.
It said it was also examining the possibility of a systemic issue with the aircraft type.
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: “We are not shy about going broader than just this aircraft, but right now we are focusing on just this one, we have to figure out if this is a wider fleet issue.”
Alaska Airlines said travel disruptions on its services are expected until at least mid-week after grounding 20% of its scheduled flights.
United also cancelled 226 flights on Monday.
‘It is in my backyard!’
Following the incident on 5 January, US authorities asked people in the Cedar Hills suburb to look out for the missing door plug – a vital piece of evidence.
Science teacher Bob Sauer found a piece of the plane in his garden. Pic: AP
Two days later, Bob Sauer, a science teacher, reported something “gleaming white” underneath the trees in his garden, which turned out to be the mid-cabin door plug.
“It was very obviously part of a plane. It had the same curvature as a fuselage, it had a plane type window in it, and it was white,” he said.
Pic: AP
“My heart did start beating a little fast at that point because I thought: Oh my goodness, people have been looking for
this all weekend and it looks like it is in my backyard!” Mr Sauer said.
The panel has been sent to a NTSB lab in Washington for further examination, having miraculously remained undamaged by the fall.
Mr Sauer said the trees had acted like an airbag.
Elon Musk has said he is committed to remaining as Tesla’s chief executive for at least five years, as the electric carmaker faces pressure from consumers and the stock market over his work with Donald Trump’s government.
The world’s richest man said he will cut back on political spending after heavily backing the US president last year.
During a video appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum hosted by Bloomberg, a moderator asked: “Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”
Musk responded: “Yes.”
The moderator added: “No doubt about that at all?”
Musk chuckled and replied: “I can’t be still here if I’m dead.”
Tesla has borne the brunt of the outrage against Musk over his work with Mr Trump as part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which implemented cuts across the US federal government.
Asked if the reaction made him think twice about his involvement in politics, Musk said: “I did what needed to be done.
“I’m not someone who has ever committed violence and yet massive violence was committed against my companies, massive violence was threatened against me.”
He added: “Don’t worry: We’re coming for you.”
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Musk pulls back from D.O.G.E. role
Musk spent at least 250 million dollars (£187m) supporting Mr Trump in the presidential campaign, and even held some of his own campaign rallies.
“I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Mr Musk said. Asked why, he responded: “I think I’ve done enough.”
And he added: “Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”
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It comes after a Tesla pay package Musk was due, once valued at $56bn (£41.8bn) was stopped by a judge in Delaware.
Musk referred to chancellor Kathaleen St Jude McCormick as an “activist who is cosplaying a judge in a Halloween costume”.
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But he acknowledged his Tesla pay was part of his consideration about staying with Tesla, though he also wanted “sufficient voting control” so he “cannot be ousted by activist investors”.
“It’s not a money thing, it’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company, especially if we’re building millions, potentially billions of humanoid robots,” he added.
Donald Trump has announced the concept for his Golden Dome missile defence system – which includes plans for the US put weapons in space for the first time.
The “cutting-edge missile defence system” will include “space-based sensors and interceptors”, Mr Trump said, adding the Golden Dome “should be fully operational by the end of my term”.
The system – styled on Israel’s Iron Dome – will be able to detect and stop missiles at all points of attack, from before launch to when they are descending towards a target, the Trump administration has said.
Making the announcement in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Mr Trump told reporters the Golden Dome will be “capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world”.
The US president also said Canada “has called us and they want to be part of it”. “As usual, we help Canada as best we can,” he said.
Trump was flanked by two Golden Dome posters. Pic: AP
He has also pledged that the entire system to be built within the United States. Manufacturers in Georgia, Alaska, Florida and Indiana will all be heavily involved in the project, Mr Trump said.
General Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will oversee the Golden Dome’s progress.
The space weapons “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” General Chance Saltzman, the head of the US Space Force, said at a hearing Tuesday.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth joined the president for the announcement. Pic: AP
How much will the Golden Dome cost?
Mr Trump said he has allocated $25bn “to help get construction under way,” which he described as an initial down payment.
The total cost will be “about $175bn”, the US president added – but the Congressional Budget Office has put the price much higher.
The space-based components alone could cost as much as $542bn (£405bn) over the next 20 years, it estimated earlier this month.
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Mr Trump’s announcement came shortly after the newly confirmed US Air Force secretary said there’s currently no money allocated for the Golden Dome.
The programme is “still in the conceptual stage,” Troy Meink told senators today.
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The Pentagon has for years warned that the newest missiles developed by Russia and China are so advanced counter measures are needed.
Both Russia and China have already put offensive weapons, such as satellites capable of disabling those of other countries, in space.
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