The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be conducting a review of United Airlines due to a series of incidents that have occurred recently.
United Airlines has experienced over eleven accidents this month, which has led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducting a safety review of the airline. In a memo to its staff, United Airlines announced that the FAA will be making more frequent visits to the airline over the next few weeks to examine its facilities, work procedures, and manuals closely. This evaluation aims to ensure compliance with safety regulations by reviewing various areas of United’s operations in more detail.
Several recent incidents have involved Boeing planes on United flights, though fortunately, no passengers were injured. In the past month alone, a United Boeing jet lost a wheel before takeoff, slid off the runway, and had an engine catch on fire after takeoff. Another jet left a trail of hydraulic fluid..
The memo from the United employee stated, “The number of safety-related incidents in recent weeks has understandably prompted us to pause and assess whether there is anything we can and should do differently.”
United Airlines is reviewing its procedures and considering adjusting to address the recent increase in safety-related events. In response to these events, the FAA has reassured the public that they monitor all aspects of an airline’s operations, including safety management, hazard identification, risk assessment and mitigation, and regulatory compliance.
Following a series of catastrophic accidents involving United Airlines’ aircraft, Boeing, the company’s main manufacturer, has faced criticism. One notable incident involved a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, which had a hole in the side due to a lost door plug while in flight. Another incident saw passengers injured due to abrupt turbulence during a LATAM Airlines trip from Sydney to Auckland.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report suggests that some bolts may not have been installed on the Alaska Air aircraft, but investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, Boeing suspects that a cockpit incident, not a plane control problem, may have caused the LATAM dive.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, has expressed a potential interest in buying more planes from Airbus, Boeing’s European competitor.