Falling parts and a ‘nosedive’: 6 probes involving Boeing planes this year
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The engine cover on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 fell off during takeoff in Denver this week, striking a wing flap and forcing the plane to return immediately to the airport. It marked the latest in a slew of high-profile mishaps involving Boeing planes in 2024, ranging from lost wheels and engine failures to door plugs blowing out after takeoff. Nobody was seriously injured in any of those incidents.
Aviation regulators stress that flying is incredibly safe and fatal accidents exceedingly rare. Federal investigations into air incidents are relatively common and do not necessarily suggest that safety is at risk. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened more than 100 investigations in the United States this year so far, involving multiple aircraft manufacturers. The incidents also do not necessarily indicate issues were caused by the manufacturer, with some responsibilities belonging to the airlines instead.
Still, the incidents have increased scrutiny of Boeing’s safety record, quality control protocols and the airlines that operate its jets. In a February statement, Boeing said it had “taken important steps to foster a safety culture,” and that it will “continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs.”
Here’s a roundup of incidents involving Boeing planes that have sparked investigations by aviation regulators this year. Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
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Door plug blows off fuselage on Alaska Airlines flight
On Jan. 5, the door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft blew out while it was ascending over Portland, Ore., leaving a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage and forcing an emergency landing.
The door plug - an exit sealed with a panel rather than used as a door - was found in a teacher’s backyard. The seat closest to the breach was empty and none of the passengers were seriously injured, although some claimed physical injuries and emotional trauma in a lawsuit against Boeing.
The accident prompted intense media scrutiny and several investigations, including a criminal probe by the Justice Department. The FAA grounded 171 737 Max 9 planes over safety concerns. In February, a NTSB investigation found that the panel appeared to have been installed at a Boeing factory without four crucial bolts.
The FAA set a May 2024 deadline for Boeing to come up with a comprehensive plan to improve its quality control. Last week, Alaska said that Boeing had paid it $160 million in “initial compensation,” the Associated Press reported.
In a statement after the initial NTSB report, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said: “Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened. An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”
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Engine fails midflight on Atlas Air cargo carrier
One of the engines on a 747 cargo plane operated by Atlas Air failed on Jan. 18 after takeoff from Miami, forcing its pilot to make an emergency landing less than an hour after departing. A softball-sized hole was later found above its engine, and witness video appeared to show a plane flying partially aflame.
A preliminary NTSB report found that the aircraft sustained an “in-flight engine fire,” with the crew shutting down the engine and deploying the plane’s fire extinguishing system. The plane made an “uneventful landing” in Miami, where it was met by firefighting crew, the report said. There were no injuries, and the report said the aircraft sustained minor damage.
Boeing said at the time of the incident that it would support the NTSB’s investigation.
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Delta flight loses wheel before takeoff
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 plane lost its nose tire while taxiing for takeoff in Atlanta on Jan. 23.
Passengers on the flight, destined for Bogotá, Colombia, were safely transferred to a replacement aircraft. According to Delta, the plane’s nose gear tire and rim had come loose. The FAA said the nose wheel rolled down a nearby hill and that it was investigating the incident.
At the time, a Boeing spokesperson said the 757, which the company stopped manufacturing in 2004, was 32 years old. Delta said it returned the aircraft to service the following day.
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United plane loses tire during takeoff
A Japan-bound United Airlines lost a tire after takeoff on March 7, forcing the pilot to make an abrupt landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
Video appeared to show the plane taking off from San Francisco International Airport, before a tire comes loose from its left landing gear seconds later and falls to the ground.
According to United, the Boeing 777-200 aircraft has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts and is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires. The FAA said it opened an investigation.
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Midair ‘nosedive’ during LATAM flight
A Boeing 787 flight from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand, went into a dive on March 11, injuring some 50 people. The airline, LATAM, described the incident as a “technical event.”
Passengers described people getting thrown to the ceiling and then falling to the floor as the aircraft lost altitude - with one passenger saying he “felt the plane take a nosedive” - before being quickly leveled.
Chile’s national aviation opened a probe into the incident, with reports that investigators suspected one of the plane’s pilots had been pushed forward into the controls by his seat.
In a bulletin this year, reported by The Washington Post, Boeing reminded airlines of existing advice addressing an issue with pilot-seat switches. Were the switch to get stuck while someone was sitting in the seat, it could press their body against the plane’s controls, it said. The bulletin did not refer to the nosedive incident.
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Engine cover falls off Southwest flight
On Sunday morning, the engine cover on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 fell off after takeoff, striking a wing flap. The Houston-bound flight landed safely in Denver after crew reported the issue.
Video obtained by ABC News and shared on social media shows the cover blowing open, then ripping off as the aircraft appears to move along the runway, exposing the engine to passengers.
A Boeing spokesperson referred inquiries to Southwest, which said in a statement that its maintenance teams were “reviewing the aircraft.”
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Praveena Somasundaram, Ian Duncan, Justine McDaniel, Daniel Wu, Annabelle Timsit, Niha Masih and Kim Bellware contributed reporting.
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