A Boeing 737 passenger plane had to make an emergency landing within a few minutes of taking off.
In the span of just three days, the aircraft maker has been hit with its fourth incident, leaving potential passengers grappling with the decision of whether or not to board these particular models.
Flight 166, a 737 jet operated by United Airlines, departed from Fukuoka Airport in southwest Japan on Friday morning. Its destination was Guam, an island territory located in the western Pacific.
The passenger plane, with 50 holidaymakers on board, was scheduled to have a flight duration of just under four hours. However, shortly after taking off, the plane was compelled to return and land back at Fukuoka Airport.
The plane made a safe landing back on the tarmac at Fukuoka at around 11:45 am local time (3:45 am UK time) because one of its wing flaps was found to be malfunctioning.
There were no reported injuries, but this incident is the most recent in a series of events involving Boeing planes. These incidents have been eroding consumer trust in the models.
On Thursday, a total of 190 individuals had to be evacuated from a Boeing 737-800 aircraft due to the bursting of its tires upon landing at Gazipasa airport near the charming Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya.
On Friday, a photograph emerged showing the front wheels and landing gear of a plane belonging to Corendon Airlines, based in Turkey, severely damaged.
Just hours after a Boeing 737-300 skidded off the runway and caught fire during take-off in Senegal, another incident occurred.
Passengers were seen running away in fear from the engulfed plane, which had a total of 78 individuals on board.
On Wednesday, the front landing gear of a Boeing 767 cargo plane failed, resulting in an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport.
The aircraft’s nose slid across the runway, creating a spectacle of sparks and smoke.
Boeing has not been proven to be responsible for these incidents, but they have amplified the existing safety concerns that the company is already grappling with.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States announced earlier this week that it has initiated an investigation into the company. The investigation was triggered by the discovery that workers at a plant in South Carolina had falsified inspection records on specific 787 planes.
In a management overhaul, the current CEO, Dave Calhoun, announced in March that he would be stepping down at the end of this year. This decision caused share prices to plummet.
Boeing stated that the global 787 fleet has safely transported over 850 million passengers on more than 4.2 million flights during its 13 years of service.
A 787 aircraft can operate safely for a minimum of 30 years before requiring additional maintenance for its airframe. Rigorous testing of the fuselage and thorough maintenance checks on approximately 700 in-service airplanes have not revealed any indications of airframe fatigue.
“We have diligently inspected and improved airplanes under the supervision of the FAA, ensuring that they meet the highest standards. We are completely confident in the safety and durability of the 787 Dreamliner.”
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