Reuters
Updated Thursday, January 25, 2024-10:04
US security immobilizes the Boeing 737 MAX 9 after a plane loses its window and part of the fuselage in mid-flight
In the midst of the controversy over
the Boeing 737 Max 9
, the company has been affected by a new incident.
The nose wheel of a
Boeing 757
passenger plane operated by
Delta Airlines
detached from the plane while it was lining up for takeoff Saturday at
Atlanta
International Airport , according to the airline and regulators.
A Federal Aviation Administration report filed Monday said the plane was lining up and waiting to take off at Atlanta's
Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport when "the nose wheel detached and rolled down."
To know more
Q&A.
Alert with the Boeing 737 Max 9: Is it safe to fly in one?
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Editor: LEONARD BERBERI (CORRIERE DELLA SERA)
Alert with the Boeing 737 Max 9: Is it safe to fly in one?
What companies use this plane?
Companies.
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Boeing falls 7% in the stock market after the incident of the plane that lost part of its fuselage
No one was injured in the incident, which is being investigated.
The Boeing 757 was discontinued in 2004, making it an older model, unlike the recent mid-flight blowout of a fuselage panel on an
eight-week-old
Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
"Tower, it seems we have a problem," said the Delta pilot, after being
notified by the crew of another plane
that one of the two wheels of the nose gear had come off, according to a recording from liveatc.net.
"Torre, there is a 75(7) on the runway that just lost a nose wheel," the unidentified pilot of the second plane told controllers.
The plane, which was headed to Bogotá, was towed
.
Passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft
and the affected aircraft returned to service the following day.
Boeing has faced increased regulatory scrutiny and intense media attention after an Alaska Airlines plane
lost its window and part of the fuselage mid-flight on
January 5 .
No one was seriously injured, but the
FAA grounded 171 MAX 9s
after the incident.
A Boeing spokesperson referred questions to Delta, noting that production of the 757 ended in 2004.
Maintaining the airworthiness of an aircraft in service is the responsibility of the operator, although additional inspections are periodically requested by regulators or aircraft manufacturers, as has been the case with the MAX 9's predecessor, the 737-900ER.
Delta has a large and diverse fleet of aircraft, including some of the oldest in service in the United States.
A 32 year old plane
Delta said
the plane that lost the wheel was acquired in 1992, making it about 32 years old
.
In September, the average age of its 757-200 aircraft was 26.1 years and that of its 757-300 aircraft was 20.6 years.
For years it has been based on getting the most out of existing fleets, but in recent years it has joined other airlines in placing orders to take advantage of fuel and emissions savings.
The airline, which also owns one of the largest repair companies in the industry, has consistently maintained that there is no safety risk in properly maintained older aircraft.
But a series of unrelated incidents has put aviation safety in the spotlight.
Civil aircraft typically have an economic life of 20 to 25 years, but are built to fly longer within certain limits.
Safety experts say
there is no simple correlation between age and safety
, although older planes should be checked for structural stresses based on how much they have been flown.
According to a Boeing brochure, most landing gear should be disassembled and inspected every 10 years or so, depending on the type of aircraft.
Tires are changed every 150 to 400 landings, according to aviation publication
Simple Flying
.