Monica Chavez BROWNSVILLE – Throughout January, Boeing planes across different airlines have reported issues with their airplanes, citing errors in human safety checks.
The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary report for the Alaska airlines incident on Feb. 6—stating the airplane’s left mid exit door flew off mid-flight.
The report suggested the cause to be missing and loose bolts, leaving seven passengers and one flight attendant were left with minor injuries.
Republican political discourse followed the incidents with suggestions that airlines diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts are compromising safety management in recent flight incidents.
Mechanical engineer professor Isaac Choutapalli said quality control issues have nothing to do with DEI efforts.
“You know, every now and then things happen,” Choutapalli said. “But it cannot be blamed on the initiatives. But regardless of whether a person was hired under the DEI initiative or otherwise, it could be the same result.”
Choutapalli said Boeing operates under very strict safety standards—but nothing is ever 100% perfect.
“So, what aircraft manufacturers can do, like Boeing, is review those safety protocols again and make sure that there is a layered review at each level of that somebody and quality control is maintained on a very strict level.” Choutapalli said.
Christopher Hopkins, assistant director of aviation at the Brownsville, South Padre Island International Airport, said airports are not responsible for the safety maintenance of airplanes; but are responsible for the safety of anybody that comes on to their property and terminals through their air sites.
“A pilot is responsible for making sure that their aircraft is airworthy,” Hopkins said. “There is a checklist of things that they have to undergo and the airworthiness certificate and is being evaluated on a frequent basis certifies at the aircraft is safe to fly, and that’s in cooperation with the maintenance departments and the federal inspectors.”
Boeing said that it will implement a plan to strengthen its quality to ensure the safety of its passengers and customers.
