Boeing Plane Loses Engine Cover During Takeoff in Another Embarrassing Moment for Air Manufacturing Giant
The company will have a major changeover in the executive suite by the end of the year.
In another embarrassing moment for airplane manufacturer Boeing, one of the company’s planes lost its engine cover Sunday during takeoff from Denver International Airport. This comes as the company is facing congressional scrutiny and is planning a major change in leadership.
The Boeing plane, operated by Southwest Airlines, lost its engine cowling, a removable cover on the plane’s engine. “Our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft,” Southwest said in a statement to CNBC. The plane was in the air for more than 30 minutes before it had to return to the Denver airport.
The plane that lost its cover was a Boeing 737-800, which is a model that has had several accidents in recent months. Between the model’s release in 1967 and 2023, the 737 family has been involved in more than 500 accidents and incidents, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries and endless media scrutiny.
In 2018, a 737 crash in Indonesia left nearly 200 passengers dead, and in 2019 a 737 crash in Ethiopia killed more than 150 individuals.
In January, a 737 operated by Alaska Airlines garnered national attention when one of the doors blew out mid-flight, leaving passengers exposed. The Federal Aviation Administration placed a hold on all 737 flights the next day.
The chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Cantwell, said at a March oversight hearing on the Boeing 737 incidents that the company had to do more to ensure the safety of its passengers.
“Boeing facilities have significant … deficiencies in record keeping and the investigation continues to determine what manufacturer documentations were used to authorize the opening and closing of the left mid-exit door plug during rework,” she said.
Boeing stock is down more than 27 percent since the beginning of 2024, and is down more than 50 percent from just five years ago. The company is planning a major executive changeover, including chief executive Dave Calhoun who will step down at the end of the year. The chairman of the board and the head of the commercial airlines division are also leaving.
