An engine fire caused by plastic packaging, a lost tire shortly after takeoff and a plane that skidded off the runway: These are among eight incidents that have occurred in the past two weeks on United Airlines flights. While no injuries — or worse — have been reported, the crashes have generated headlines and raised concern about aviation safety among federal officials and passengers.
All of the incidents occurred on flights departing from or en route to United States airports, and five involved planes made by Boeing, a manufacturer already under intense scrutiny. In January, a door stopper blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane mid-flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.
United, one of the world’s largest airlines, flies aircraft manufactured primarily by Boeing and Airbus. In an email that United began sending to customers Monday, the company’s CEO, Scott Kirby, wrote that while the recent incidents were unrelated, they were “reminders of the importance of safety.”
“I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus,” he continued, adding that each case is reviewed by the airline and will affect training and safety procedures.
Here’s what travelers need to know about the latest plane woes.
What exactly happened to the planes or planes?
Most of the incidents reported in the past two weeks required emergency landings or diversions.
Are the recent issues typical or cause for concern?
The crashes were not the result of “systemic problems,” said Robert Sumwalt, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board who now directs a new aviation safety center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
“Some of these issues are things that happen occasionally but often don’t get reported in the media,” Mr. Sumwalt said, though he stressed that none were acceptable.
Kyra Dempsey, who writes about plane crashes on a blog called Admiral Cloudberg, said United’s recent issues are being “falsely conflated with Boeing’s problems.”
“While it is unfortunate that United has had so many incidents in such a short period of time, in general such incidents occur frequently around the world and are not on the rise overall,” Ms Dempsey said.
How did United react?
Mr. Kirby’s 270-word message to United customers, including members of the airline’s frequent flyer program, began being sent Monday morning, said Josh Freed, a United spokesman.
Starting in May, United pilots will have an extra day of in-person training, a change that was already planned before the incidents, Mr. Kirby wrote. The airline will also use a “centralized training program for new maintenance technician hires” and dedicate additional resources to the carrier’s supply chain.
Which government agencies oversee these issues and how do they respond?
The Federal Aviation Administration regulates the nation’s aviation system and investigates safety incidents at U.S. airlines, while the NTSB investigates the causes of accidents, collisions, and crashes involving planes flown by U.S. carriers, as well as other accidents involving companies commercial and mass transport. Both agencies have discretion over what they investigate, Mr. Sumwalt said.
The NTSB is currently investigating the March 8 incident in Houston, when the plane veered off the runway, an agency spokesman said. The NTSB is also looking into a Feb. 10 Los Angeles-Newark flight operated by United that experienced severe turbulence that injured more than a dozen passengers. (The Boeing 777 landed normally, but the flight was treated by medical personnel.)
Security experts said some issues do not necessarily rise to the level of investigation by either agency.
For example, partial loss of some of an airplane’s multiple hydraulic systems is common, said Michael McCormick, an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a former FAA control tower operator. The FAA may or may not get involved in these types of issues unless there is a pattern, Mr. Sumwalt said.
The January episode involving the burning door plug on the Alaska Airlines plane is under investigation by the NTSB and the Department of Justice.
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