<
https://theconversation.com/why-did-alaska-airlines-flight-1282-have-a-sealed-off-emergency-exit-in-the-first-place-the-answer-comes-down-to-money-221263>
"The aviation industry is still in shock from a near disaster on Jan. 5, 2024,
in which a 60-pound “door plug” blew out from a nearly new Boeing 737 MAX 9 in
flight at 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage.
In response, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 737 MAX 9 planes
with such plugs, and aviation authorities in other countries have followed
suit.
The industry is watching closely.
A lot of news coverage has emphasized the impressive safety record of the
global airline industry, particularly since an Alaska Airlines crew managed to
land the plane with no fatalities. I commend the outstanding performance of
airline employees, air traffic controllers and emergency responders who
achieved this impressive feat.
However, as a former United Airlines pilot now lecturing in Yale University’s
School of Management, I believe the wrong questions are being asked about what
happened on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. As the National Transportation Safety
Board and numerous news outlets have explained, door plugs are commonly used to
seal unused exits on commercial airliners. The question we need to ask is: Why
wouldn’t an airline use all of an aircraft’s emergency exits? Wouldn’t that
make passengers safer?
It’s all about money."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
