By Faith Gonia
Be at least 15 years of age, have sufficient mobility, read and understand instructions—the lengthy list of the Federal Aviation Administration’s emergency exit row qualifications is enough to prevent pre-teens and the elderly alike from sitting in Rows 14 and 15. However, the FAA’s regulation of American aviation does not cease at the exit row. Responsible for operating aircraft control, overseeing space transportation, and, as of January 2024, investigating door plugs falling off mid-air, the FAA plays a critical role in United States aviation.
On January 5, 2024, passengers boarded an Alaska Boeing 737 Max 9, hoping to travel from Portland to Ontario. Just after takeoff, a cabin panel fell off of the brand new plane, leaving a gaping, depressurizing hole in the once-trusted aircraft. As oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, passengers panicked and pressed record, shocked at the nightmarish event unfolding.
Immediately after the emergency landing, in which all passengers survived without injuries, the FAA announced a temporary grounding of all Boeing 737-9 planes. Fortunately, no passengers occupied the two seats adjacent to the opening at the time of the incident. Nevertheless, historical cases of aircrafts losing parts midair have not had such favorable circumstances. One teenager on the Alaska flight lost a shirt; travelers on other flights, their lives.
In 1988, the upper half of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 tore partly off of the plane, taking the life of a flight attendant and injuring eight others. Meanwhile, one year later, a United Airlines flight suffered a “structural failure,” causing a 10 by 40 foot wide portion of the aircraft to be lost. In the 1989 tragedy, nine passengers died.
Although the record of such incidents proves them to be incredibly rare, the aftermath of the 2024 Alaska flight has left passengers in fear and Alaska Airlines in a struggle to financially recover. As of January 25, Alaska “expects Boeing to reimburse at least $150 million in losses,” according to The Seattle Times.