Due to a number of incidents over the past few months, United Airlines is under increased FAA oversight after the agency raised questions concerning safety at the airline.
According to a memo sent to United employees, Sasha Johnson, United’s vice president for corporate safety said that the increased number of episodes “have rightfully caused us to pause and evaluate whether there is anything we can and should do differ- ently.”
United CEO Scott Kirby sent a letter acknowledging recent problems, saying, “Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups. This is in addition to some changes that were already planned, including an extra day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May and a centralized training curriculum for our new-hire maintenance technician.”
Thus far in 2024, there havebeeen several incidents United aircraft.
On Feb. 6, a United Airlines captain reported the rudder pedals did not move in response to the normal application of foot pressure while attempting to maintain runway centerline and remained stuck in their neutral position. The plane in question was a Boeing 737 Max 8, which was removed after the incident.
On Feb. 19, a United Boeing 757-200 carrying 165 passengers was diverted to Denver while on a flight from San Francisco to Boston after one of its wings was damaged. United said the plane was landed to address an issue with the slat, a moveable panel on the edge of the wing that is used during takeoff and landing.
On Feb. 21, a United plane made an emergency landing in Chicago after the crew reported a security issue. The flight landed safely, and the threat was met with local law enforcement.
On March 4, a United flight made an emergency landing in Houston after one of its engines caught fire midair. The plane was replaced, and the flight continued later that evening.
Three days later, on March 7, a United flight departing San Franciso for Japan was diverted after takeoff when a tire fell off the plane and crashed into a parking lot, damaging vehicles. The 777200 Boeing landed in Los Angeles, and the airline assured vehicles owners damages and needs would be addressed.
On March 8, United flight saw passengers evacuated at the Houston airport after the plane tilted and rolled onto the grass from the taxiway. Passengers had to deplane the Boeing 737 Max 8 using emergency stairs, who were then bused to terminals.
A few days later on March 15, a panel was found to be missing on a Boeing 737-800 after arriving at its destination. A post-flight inspection found the panel missing. The plane was carrying 139 passengers.
Other airlines have experienced problems in recent months. An engine cowling on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 fell off during takeoff, prompting the FAA to launch an investigation. Another Southwest flight returned to the air gate after reporting a possible engine fire. Also, the incident with a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 where a door plug blew off mid-flight at 16,000 feet.
There have been 29 incidents, accidents and occurrences involving Boeing planes globally from Jan. 1 to April 7, according to data available from the National Transportation Safety Board’s online case analysis and reporting tool (CAROL). During the same time frame in 2023, there were 34 incidents, accidents and occurrences.