Boeing orders major safety checks to 787 cockpits after simple mishap on LATAM Airlines flight caused terrifying plunge - as Oregon-bound United Airlines plane loses wing panel mid-air

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Boeing is instructing airlines to inspect switches on pilots' seats in its flagship 787 Dreamliner jets - after a published report said an accidental cockpit seat movement likely caused the sudden plunge of a LATAM Airlines plane earlier this week.

The announcement, issued Thursday, came hours before a United Airlines plane built by Boeing was grounded after it was found to be missing a panel following a flight. 

That plane was a Boeing 737-824, and the cause of the midair malfunction - like several other in recent weeks - is still under investigation. 

As for the LATAM flight out of Australia, Boeing said it recommended airlines inspect the motorized cockpit seats the next time they perform maintenance. 

The aircraft manufacturer went on to point to instructions that include how to disable motors that move the seats in its 787s, before billing the advisory as no more than a 'precautionary measure.'

The United Airlines jet, flying out of Australia, had to turn around midflight Monday because of a midair mechanical issue. that caused 'a strong movement' that jolted passengers in their seats, reportedly sending one into the ceiling

The announcement, issued Thursday, came hours before a United Airlines plane built by Boeing was grounded after it was found to be missing a panel following a flight. Pictured: The missing part on the 25-year-old Boeing 737-824, a much older model than the 787-Dreamliner

'Closing the spring-loaded seat back switch guard onto a loose/detached rocker switch cap can potentially jam the rocker switch, resulting in unintended seat movement,' Boeing brass warned in the memo.

The memo adds that this was already a known issue, and that Boeing had issued a similar service notice in 2017. 

The memo doesn't indicate whether a loose switch cover played a role in the incident on the LATAM flight, during which a flight attendant accidentally hit a switch on the pilot’s seat while serving a meal, officials said.

This, in turn, caused a motorized feature to push the pilot into the controls and push down the plane’s nose, causing the plane to plunge and jolt passengers in their seats.

Roughly 50 people were treated by first responders and at least five were hospitalized after the plane dipped violently, LATAM airline and first responders both said after the fact -  

The switch, on the back of the chair, is usually covered and isn’t supposed to be used when a pilot is in the seat, at a time where the firm is already under heavy scrutiny.

That attention stems from a separate incident involving a supposedly state of the art 737 Max that happened in early January, where an unused emergency exit door blew off the brand-new plane shortly after take-off from Portland International.

Feds have been vetting the incident ever since, during which time Boeing's value has nosedived an eye-watering $150billion to $112billion. Also within that span, the firm has seen at least five other planes face technical failures. 

The memo doesn't indicate whether a loose switch cover played a role in the incident on the LATAM flight, during which a flight attendant accidentally hit a switch on the pilot’s seat while serving a meal. The 787 Dreamliner that suddenly lost altitude mid-flight is seen here

This caused a motorized feature to push the pilot into the controls and push down the plane’s nose, causing the plane to plunge and jolt passengers in their seats, reportedly sending one into the cabin's ceiling. Pictured: A new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner not involved in the incident

The switch, on the back of the chair, is usually covered and isn’t supposed to be used when a pilot is in the seat, at a time where the firm is already under heavy scrutiny. Pictured: A Passenger being embraced by his mother after touching down from the horror flight

That attention stems from a separate incident involving a supposedly state of the art 737 Max that happened in early January, where an unused emergency exit door blew off the brand-new plane shortly after take-off from Portland International 

The first, also involving a Boeing 737, occurred March 4 shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers, and saw one of the plane's engines catch fire.

Footage from the cabin showed passengers screaming and crying as they witnessed flames billowing up over one of the plane's wings, after one of the turbines on the United flight somehow ingested bubble wrap before the departure, the airline said.

No one was injured during the incident.

A few days later, on another United flight, a wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff in San Francisco.  

As was the case with the other mishaps, it occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground. 

The United Airlines flight on its way to Osaka was barely off the runway when the Boeing 777-200's wheel came off, with footage showing it laying on the runway following the frightening fall.

The plane with 235 passengers and 14 crew diverted to Los Angeles Airport after it was alerted to the landing gear failure at 11:35am Thursday, before eventually landing safely at LAX at around 1.20pm with no further incident.

No injuries reported on the ground.

Feds have been vetting the incident ever since, during which time Boeing's value has nosedived an eye-watering $150billion to $112billion. Also within that span, the firm has seen at least five other planes face technical failures. Pictured: Passengers on the stricken LATAM flight 

The first, also involving a Boeing 737, occurred March 4 shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers, and saw one of the plane's engines catch fire. Footage from the cabin showed passengers screaming as they witnessed flames billowing over one of the plane's wings

A few days later, on another United flight, a wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff in San Francisco .

As was the case with the other mishaps, it occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground 

Then, on Friday, On Friday, a United Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway into a grassy area after a rough landing in Houston

The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, is said to have suffered some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured

Footage showed the plane stopped with its wing touching the ground by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. The plane, in that case, was also a Boeing 737 Max

United, at the time, issued a statement that seemingly attempted to quell riders' concerns: 'The 777-200 has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts.

'The aircraft is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires.'

The craft is the same model seen leaking hydraulic fluid in Sydney on Monday.

Then, on Friday, On Friday, a United Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway into a grassy area after a rough landing in Houston. 

The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, is said to have suffered some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured. 

Footage showed the plane stopped with its wing touching the ground by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. 

The plane, in that case, was also a Boeing 737 Max.

A few hours later, a flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was diverted to LA after an issue with the plane’s hydraulic system, United Airlines said - this time referring to a Boeing 777-300, the same model seen spewing hydraulic fluid on Monday.

None of the 183 passengers or crew were injured.

The next day, retired Boeing Quality Manager John Barnett - who had been involved in whistleblower retaliation suit against the manufacturer - was found dead in South Carolina from what cops said was a self-inflicted gunshot.

His death came during a break in depositions in his whistleblower retaliation suit, in Charleston where he was to meet Boeing lawyers fighting his case.

It alleged Barnett, 62, witnessed under-pressure workers at the firm's then new plant in South Carolina were deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the assembly line, and that in some cases, second-rate parts were removed from scrap bins, before being fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays. 

A 2017 review by the FAA upheld some of his concerns, and had just given a deposition to Boeing's lawyers for the case this past week, his attorney said.

Back in January, the staffer who spent four years overseeing quality checks at the Charleston plant issued stark warnings about the aviation giant's 787 Dreamliner and 737 Max models specifically, just weeks before his demise.

'This is not a 737 problem - this is a Boeing problem,' he said after being asked if he believed the 737 was safe to fly following the door incident and a subsequent FAA inspection.

'I know the FAA is going in and done due diligence and inspections to ensure the door close on the 737 is installed properly and the fasteners are stored properly,' he said, citing the parts that likely played a part in the incident. 

The next day, retired Boeing Quality Manager John Barnett - who had been involved in whistleblower retaliation suit against the manufacturer - was found dead in South Carolina from what cops said was a self-inflicted gunshot. He is seen here warning TMZ about the firm's production practices - for 787s and 737s in particular 

'But, my concern is, "What's the rest of the airplane? What's the condition of the rest of the airplane?"'

He went on to provide a reason for that concern - one that he said led him to file the lawsuit against the aviation firm.

'Back in 2012, Boeing started removing inspection operations off their jobs,' he told TMZ's Charles Latibeaudiere and Harvey Levin, recalling his time as a quality overseer at Boeing's plant in South Carolina, which manufactured mostly 787s.

'So, it left the mechanics to buy off their own work,' he explained.

Barnett went on to charge that the incident involving the door was indicative of something greater - and something alleged in his lawsuit: Boeing turning a blind eye to safety concerns in order to raise their bottom line.

'What we're seeing with the door plug blowout is what I've seen with the rest of the airplane, as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored,' he charged, months before his sudden death.

'My concerns are with the 737 and 787, because those programs have really embraced the theory that quality is overhead and non value added.

Boeing's assembly plant in North Charleston - where the deceased worked for decades - is seen here. It manufactures mostly 787s

The plant where Barnett worked for decades is where Boeing builds the 787 Dreamliner, one of several crafts from the airliner that's made headlines as of late. Pictured: an unrelated United Airlines Boeing 787-9 takes off from Los Angeles international Airport on July 30, 2022

'Those two programs have really put a strong effort into removing quality from the process.'

The FAA appears to have stood up some of the expert's assertions after revealing how a six-week audit found 'multiple instances where [Boeing] allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements' of its 737s. 

At one point during the exam, feds found that mechanics at Spirit AeroSystems - one of Boeing's main suppliers - used a hotel key card to check a door seal, and a liquid Dawn soap to a door seal 'as lubricant in the fit-up process.' 

That action was 'not identified/documented/called-out in the production order,' a document outlining the probe said - spurring  FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to decree Boeing must develop a comprehensive plan to address such 'systemic quality-control issues' within 90 days 

He sent summary of its findings to the companies in its completed audit, after an all-day February 27 meeting with CEO Dave Calhoun. He did not state the specific corrective actions Boeing and Spirit must take.

'Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,' Whitaker explained at the time last week. 'We are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.'

Calhoun responded in his own statement, saying that Boeing's leadership team was 'totally committed' to addressing FAA concerns and developing the plan.

Spirit, which makes the fuselage for the now scrutinized MAX, issued a statement saying it was 'in communication with Boeing and the FAA on appropriate corrective actions.'

 In response, Boeing claimed that after some 'quality stand-downs, the FAA audit findings, and the recent expert review panel report, we have a clear picture of what needs to be done.'

Since then, the 737 has continued to experience technical failures, after being grounded by the FAA for two years following two crashes in 2017 and 2019 that collectively killed 346.

Clearing them to fly again in 2021, officials deemed the crashes to be the result of a combination of oversight, design flaws, and inaction by Boeing brass. 

That said, the door blowing off the brand-new 737 in January has since sparked a renewed probe by the DOJ - one that could get complex as these failures continue.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Boeing's continued crises have now forced airlines like United and Southwest to cut flights and even pause hiring - decisions bolstered by United's decision to hold off on the unproved 737 Max 10,

Once the Max 10 gets clearance to operate, Kirby said Monday, United will start accepting some of the craft into its fleet. 

Back in January, shortly after the door incident, Kirby said the airline would build a fleet plan without the Max 10 because of constant delays. 

On Friday, United told staff it would have to pause pilot hiring this spring because new Boeing planes are arriving late, CNBC reported. 

teams collect personal effects and other materials from the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight in March 2019, less than a year after another 737-MAX crash in Indonesia

That crash came five months after another flight on a Boeing 737 MAX jet left 189 people dead in Indonesia. Pictured are inspectors at the site of the Lion Air Flight crash in November 2018

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun  speaks with reports at the Capitol in January after MAX 9 planes were grounded following the door incident. The company is now under criminal investigation

Southwest Airlines, which only flies Boeing 737s, also trimmed its capacity forecast for 2024, saying this week that it was reevaluating the year's financial guidance, citing fewer Boeing deliveries than it previously expected: 46 as opposed to 79.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said at the JPMorgan industry conference Tuesday: Boeing needs to become a better company and the deliveries will follow that.'

Alaska Airlines added Tuesday that its 2024 capacity estimates are 'in flux due to uncertainty around the timing of aircraft deliveries as a result of increased FAA and DOJ scrutiny on Boeing and its operations.'

Boeing, meanwhile, did not link the memo to what happened this week on the LATAM flight, which was between Australia and New Zealand.

The Federal Aviation Administration, however, confirmed the Boeing memo was issued 'in response to the incident', adding that it was convening a panel of experts to review Boeing's message to airlines.

The part in questoin is on roughly 375 planes, according to an insider who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. 

Passengers reported that when the Dreamliner dropped, people not wearing seatbelts were tossed from their seats and thrust into the cabin ceiling and aisles. The plane later landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. 

Multiple investigations into the firm remain underway.