In the days leading up to a door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX, maintenance staff at the airline reportedly requested that the aircraft be taken offline for servicing, according to The New York Times.
The incident, which occurred during a flight from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Ontario International Airport (ONT), has raised questions about the airline’s maintenance protocols and decision-making processes.
Scheduled Maintenance Delayed Despite Technical Concerns
The New York Times’ investigation, which included interviews and document reviews, revealed that the aircraft had experienced two pressurization warning signals within the 10 days preceding the blowout. Alaska Airlines’ standard operating procedure mandates that an aircraft receive immediate servicing after three such warnings within a 10-day period.
Despite this, technical personnel at the airline allegedly urged for the aircraft to be immediately grounded for maintenance due to the pressurization issues. However, the airline scheduled the maintenance for January 5, 2024, after the aircraft was slated to complete three additional flights.
In the interim, the plane was subjected to additional restrictions, including prohibitions on overwater flights to Hawaii and over remote areas of the United States, to mitigate risks in the event of an emergency.
Warnings Might Not Be Linked to Door Failure: Alaska
The door plug ultimately blew out on the second of the planned three flights. Despite the incident and preceding warnings, Alaska Airlines executives have stated that there may not be a direct correlation between the pressurization warnings and the door plug failure.
Mad Tidwell, the airline’s vice president for safety and security, commented to The New York Times, stating that the warnings “could have been caused by other issues, such as electronics,” suggesting alternative factors may have contributed to the malfunction.
“From my perspective as the safety guy, looking at all the data, all the leading indicators, there was nothing that would drive me to make a different decision,” Tidwell said in an interview.