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Alaska Airlines reviews safety measures one year after Flight 1282 incident

Alaska Airlines reviews safety measures one year after Flight 1282 incident
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Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft | Alaska Airlines

On January 5, 2024, Alaska Airlines grounded its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft following an incident where a door plug detached during Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California. The airline expressed gratitude for the crew's professionalism in ensuring passenger safety.

Following the incident, Alaska Airlines' quality and audit team conducted a review of Boeing's production quality and control systems. They enhanced their oversight by adding experienced team members to validate work on the Boeing 737 production line.

Brooke Vatheuer, Alaska’s Vice President of Audit Programs, provided an update on the progress made since the incident. "This event changed our airline and our industry," she said. The airline has focused on safety and compliance improvements in collaboration with Boeing and other partners.

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Alaska Airlines has engaged with Boeing leaders to review improvement plans and share best practices related to safety management systems (SMS). Visits to Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita and the Boeing factory in Renton have allowed them to observe improvements firsthand.

The airline augmented its oversight at Boeing Renton by assigning three maintenance and engineering employees as Aircraft Acquisition Representatives (AARs) on-site five days a week. Ausgael, a business partner, provides continuous oversight seven days a week. Three engineers are also present at the Boeing delivery center for inspections prior to aircraft delivery.

Boeing's Mechanic Training Program has seen improvements with extended training periods and increased hands-on opportunities. There is now a focus on voluntary reporting within work processes using an SMS risk assessment framework.

Alaska Airlines acknowledges positive changes in Boeing's safety culture and remains committed to maintaining rigorous safety standards. They plan several visits to Boeing in 2025 to ensure continued process improvements are observed firsthand.

Vatheuer emphasized that "safety is not just a policy – it is our core value that guides our actions every single day."

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