It’s been a rocky week so far for Boeing since a disastrous Alaska Airlines flight was forced to undergo an emergency landing. From a plunging stock to federal investigations, here’s a look at the aircraft manufacturer’s terrible last few days.
⏰ A timeline
Friday (Jan. 5): The incident
A panel of a Boeing 737 Max 9 airplane rips off during an Alaska Airlines nighttime flight from Portland International Airport to Ontario, California at 16,000 feet, 10 minutes after takeoff. Air rushes out of the gaping hole, taking with it a teddy bear, two cellphones, and a seat headrest; tossing around a 12-year old in the row behind it; and blowing off a 15-year-old passenger’s t-shirt.
Saturday (Jan. 6): Aftershock
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues immediate inspections of 171 Boeing planes across the globe. Alaska Airlines cancels more than 100 flights. The FAA says each inspection will take four to eight hours. Boeing isues a statement that it “deeply regret[s] the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers.”
Sunday (Jan. 7): Piecing it together
A schoolteacher, identified only as “Bob” by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), finds a piece of the aircraft shell that blew off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in his backyard in Portland. “We are really pleased that Bob found this,” NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters. United Airlines, one of Boeing’s biggest customers alongside Alaska, cancels 260 flights; Alaska Airlines cancels 165, according to Flight Aware.
Monday (Jan. 8): Money talks
Boeing stock drops 13% in Monday trading. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines find loose bolts on plug doors of at least five 737 Max 9 aircrafts. An aerospace engineer for the NTSB, Clint Crookshanks, says in a news conference that the parts that were supposed to hold the door plug in place on the Alaska Airlines plane showed signs of fracturing.
Tuesday (Jan. 9): Atonement
Boeing CEO David Calhoun gets choked up in a meeting with employees discussing the Jan. 5 incident. “I got kids, I got grandkids, so do you. This stuff matters… every detail matters,” he says. Calhoun acknowledges Boeing’s “mistake” and commends Alaska Airlines for its handling of the tumultuous flight. The CEO pledges “complete transparency” when working with regulators.
Wednesday (Jan. 10): Still reeling
Sieysoar Un tells “Good Morning America” in an interview that she thought she and her 12-year-old son, Josaih McCaul, were going to die during the Alaska Airlines flight. Alaska Airlines says it’s waiting for documentation from Boeing and the FAA to begin the investigation of its fleet of 737-9 Max aircraft and is canceling all flights using the planes through Jan. 13. On Wednesday alone, the airline cancels 204 flights.
Boeing stock is still down 8% from last week’s close.