ANCHORAGE- A brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 9 belonging to Alaska Airlines (AS) experienced a tail-related issue while en route from Seattle (SEA) to Chicago (ORD) on Monday (September 18, 2023).
The aircraft, which had been in revenue service for just four days and completed sixteen passenger flights, was registered with Alaska Airlines for only a week.
Alaska 737 MAX Tail Part Fall
After the incident, the plane landed in Chicago at 6:13 p.m. local time and remained on the ground overnight, flagged Viewfromthewing.
It was photographed by @beam5192 on Instagram, who shared details of the occurrence, speculating that a part of the tail came off, possibly during the flight.
The aircraft was parked at the gate for an extended period, causing Alaska Airlines passengers to wait for hours after landing.
Ultimately, the plane taxied to gate G2 at Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD). This incident raised concerns, especially since Boeing 737 MAX deliveries had previously faced delays due to quality issues with parts on MAX jets earlier in the year. However, it was primarily associated with the MAX 8 variant.
Official Statement
Alaska Airlines provides additional information, stating that the aircraft was taken out of service on Monday night at Chicago O’Hare Airport due to a system fault. It is likely that the aircraft was initially parked at a remote location while waiting for the necessary part to arrive.
Subsequently, the maintenance team taxied the aircraft to the gate for repairs. A panel on the side of the vertical stabilizer was removed to diagnose and resolve the issue.
The maintenance team successfully addressed the aircraft’s fault and was back in service by Tuesday afternoon.
Similar Incident
In late July 2023, a Boeing 767 belonging to United Airlines (UA) experienced a mid-air emergency, resulting in the unexpected detachment of its emergency evacuation slide. The incident occurred near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which surprised both officials and residents.
The aircraft in question was operating as flight UA12, traveling from Zurich (ZRH) to Chicago (ORD), and it was a Boeing 767 with the registration N666UA.
A local resident named Patrick Devitt witnessed the startling event. His father-in-law and son were inside their home when they were startled by a loud noise at approximately 12:15 p.m. CT. Upon investigating, they discovered the large evacuation slide resting in their backyard. They promptly contacted the authorities to report the situation.
Devitt, who was returning home from work at the time, took immediate action by relocating the sizable equipment from the backyard to the front of the house. Nevertheless, the incident had already caused damage to the roof of the residence and a kitchen window screen.
“As it was fully extended, it was larger than a small car. It’s a very substantial piece of equipment that fell,” Devitt explained in an interview with CNN affiliate WLS.
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