Alaska Airlines 737-900 MAX loses a door in-flight out of PDX

[ACW342]

Originally Posted by Fright Level

I often read comms transcripts from US events and there seems a reluctance to use ICAO standard phraseology. "We are an emergency" doesn't have the gravitas of a mayday call which I thought was what it should have been.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67899564

Originally Posted by Matt2725

From the audio I heard, even after the pilot declared they were an emergency, the next controller on approached asked again if they were an emergency aircraft (not sure why this wasn't passed on. I can only assume the Alaska wasn't squawking 7700 for some reason). The pilot reponsed in the affirmative, and gave the souls and fuel onboard. Yet soon after, ATC asked for souls and fuel onboard, which required the same readback again.

Not sure what we going on with the controllers, but the communication seemed pretty poor throughout.

Flight Level, Matt2725, please see my post no. 78. Not only does it give every one notice that you're in a baaaad way but your clearances can be sorted very quickly, nearby airfields will be wanting to offer you runways and the tower controler will press the big button on the red phone in the tower to scramble the crash crew. If I remember correctly captain Sullenberger didn't "I want to declare an emergency" He used "Mayday, mayday, mayday Cactus xxx double birdstrike (or similar) See this as an example:

You Tube

[JG1]

Originally Posted by Auxtank

Except for;

Hard to believe an aircraft equipped with this pinball game technology had just been built and delivered. There's a lot wrong in this industry.

[Mr Mac]

Well this just enforces my view re 737 Max and indeed makes me question my whole view of Boing as a company. I spent most of my working career on their products, but now actively avoid their products. I dont like the 787 and avoid 737 Max for pretty obvious reasons, though I was on a LH 747 up from Singapore at the end of last year, and she was fine and felt at ease. The new Boeings are a shadow of their predecessor's. To put in context I fly probably 2-3 times a week long and short haul over the year. If I am thinking like this and I am only humble SLF, how many others are taking this view re Boeings new products ? Get the company base back to Seattle, kick the accountant's back to where they belong, and let engineers design things. Accountancy is a support function in a business, not the defining thing unless you are an accountancy practice. There will be books written in the future about the demise of this business !!

Rant over
Cheers
Mr Mac

[Big Pistons Forever]

Originally Posted by JG1

Hard to believe an aircraft equipped with this pinball game technology had just been built and delivered. There's a lot wrong in this industry.

That sir is an insult to pinball machines everywhere!

Too bad Boeing thinks “QA” stands for Quality Avoidance,…..

[canard68]

I remember a HS 748 crashing near East Midlands in the UK that lost a door and it wrapped itself round the leading edge of the tailplane.
Control lost and straight down. The swept tail of a 737 may prevent the door from staying put but I would not bank on it.

[runner1021]

All things considered, Boeing had a very lucky day. Had this happened on a flight halfway to PHNL at FL390, Boeing would no longer be in the commercial aircraft business.

[Voodoo78]

Originally Posted by Matt2725

From the audio I heard, even after the pilot declared they were an emergency, the next controller on approached asked again if they were an emergency aircraft (not sure why this wasn't passed on. I can only assume the Alaska wasn't squawking 7700 for some reason). The pilot reponsed in the affirmative, and gave the souls and fuel onboard. Yet soon after, ATC asked for souls and fuel onboard, which required the same readback again.

Not sure what we going on with the controllers, but the communication seemed pretty poor throughout.

Exactly my first thought when I heard the ATC comms.

Declaring mayday is an unambiguous, worldwide recognised statement that gets everyone’s attention.

The Thomson incident from the early 2000’s that someone posted here is a clear example of how to communicate.

Friend of mine recently had to call the coastguard on the telephone as his boat was on fire and he couldn’t get to the VHF. Even on the phone, he went through the mayday sequence because it told the coastguard two important things:

1- All the relevant info
2- The person on the phone knows what they are talking about.

[Thruster763]

Originally Posted by JG1

Hard to believe an aircraft equipped with this pinball game technology had just been built and delivered. There's a lot wrong in this industry.

You would probably be surprised how many parts on a 737 have identification starting "707"......

[MLHeliwrench]

VAS aviation video summary with ATC comms

Video VAS aviation

[brak]

Originally Posted by MechEngr

Amazingly the nearby tray table remained in place.

And the safety card in the pocket in front. Better attached than that door.

Originally Posted by runner1021

All things considered, Boeing had a very lucky day. Had this happened on a flight halfway to PHNL at FL390, Boeing would no longer be in the commercial aircraft business.

They had 2 no-survivor crashes in a row of the same type, and are still in business.

[ImbracableCrunk]

Originally Posted by Auxtank

Good question. They should also have had a Master Caution with DOORS on the right hand annunciator panel as well but as you say; if the thing had taken it's hardware with it then possibly no.

The lights are marked INOP and are not wired to the "doors". The lights will test, but don't function as a warning.

[Ancient-Mariner]

Is it me, or have most window incidents been on the Left Hand side?
Even the BAC 1-11 incident was on the LH side, albeit the Captain's windscreen.

[AirScotia]

FAA orders grounding of 171 Boeing planes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67903655

[scr1]

Grounded in the US by the FAA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67903655

[Ivor_Bigunn]

To be accurate it is a no-fly until completion of an inspection that takes 4 to 8 hrs:



IB

[Maninthebar]

Originally Posted by Ivor_Bigunn

To be accurate it is a no-fly until completion of an inspection that takes 4 to 8 hrs:
IB

This implies to me that a specific issue has been identified as THE cause of this event.

Which, without the door present is remarkable and points to some gross failure of assembly

[Orange future]

Why do I feel uncomfortable everytime I hear an airline crew from the US demonstrating a complete lack of RT awareness?

As for Boeing, its not a good look.

Along with the issues over 777x certification, the issues with the 767 tanker, the issues with the 787, the issues with the Max (tail bolts), the issues with the Max (bulkhead), the issues with the Max (MCAS).

In fact, one could argue the aerospace industry in the US has taken its eye off the ball.

V-22, F-22, F-35.......

The realities of a bean counters financialised economy.

[Ancient-Mariner]

Originally Posted by MechEngr

I suspect the 200 mph gust might have had some influence, however short a time that was. For a moment the child likely resembled the car lot inflatables with their arms flailing in the air.

So, someone on the ground gets: A door. An inner panel. A chilhttps://theaircurrent.com/feed/dispa...zation-issues/d's shirt. A seat cover. And, per the BBC, a cellular phone.

Amazingly the nearby tray table remained in place.

I picture a rural location where someone, looking up into a tree, says "Bob? What the hell did you get up to last night?"

I wonder if that cellular phone rings out if called? Would give a rough location of the "door" maybe?

[JapanHanuma]

I can't imagine an airline using the Boeing MAX brand to sell a ticket to their customers.
"Take a ride with use on our brand new A350s! Luxuries mile high!"
or
"Take a ride with us on our brand new Boeing 737 MAX'S! This airline cares more about money than your safety".

[Quantz]

And now all Max's in the US. How these bricks are still allowed to fly is beyond me. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/b...4e81acd2ee83fc