Boeing says it is withdrawing a request for a safety exemption needed to certify a new model of its 737 Max airliner
Facing severe criticism after a door plug blew out on a 737 Max over Oregon this month, Boeing said Monday that it is withdrawing a request for a safety exemption needed to certify a new model of the plane.
The company asked federal regulators late last year to allow it to begin delivering its 737 Max 7 airliner to customers even though it does not meet a safety standard designed to prevent part of the engine housing from overheating and breaking off during flight.
But after a door panel blew out on a different version of the plane — a Max 9 — leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines flight out of Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5, the company’s quality control and commitment to safety have been questioned.
You know those people who get caught driving drunk and say, tell you what I won’t drive it anymore, I’ll just walk home.
(Except in this analogy, the cops have been waving the drunk-driver on his way ever since the late 90s and all of a sudden it’s a big deal now because he crashed and killed a family.)