Investigators, airlines and Boeing are scrambling to find out what went wrong on an Alaska Airlines plane on which an unused emergency exit door blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.
The terrifying failure at 16,300 feet has meant the spotlight is again on Boeing and Alaska Airlines which was aware of potential problems with the “door plug” on the near-new plane.
The Boeing 737 first entered service in 1968 and quickly became the workhorse of airline fleets around the world. Close to 12,000 of the narrow-body planes have been delivered and for decades they forged a formidable reputation for safety and reliability.
Until the aircraft maker introduced the Boeing Max.
The new iteration of the jet first flew in 2016 and quickly became Boeing’s fastest-selling plane. It was promoted as being more fuel efficient than earlier models, with more seats and a greater range to make it more attractive to airlines and counter the threat from the popular Airbus A320 family.
