Blowout on 737 Max Seen as Likely Caused by Manufacturing Issue
- Inspectors expected to zero in on manufacturing, not design
- ‘This has all the earmarks of a manufacturing deficiency’
This photo provided by an unnamed source shows the damaged part of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport on Jan. 5
Source: The Oregonian/AP Photo
The fuselage section that ripped away from a Boeing Co. 737 Max jet midflight on Friday reflects a design feature in use for many years, suggesting investigators are likely to zero in on issues in the manufacturing process rather than a design flaw.
The Max 9 aircraft was built with modular cutouts in the frame that can house additional emergency exits for high-density configurations. Some airlines order planes with the doors installed to maximize the number of seats. Others, like Flight 1282 operator Alaska Airlines, don’t require the extra exits and have the holes permanently plugged up.