Boeing Events 2024

January 13

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A domestic flight of Japan's All Nippon Airways returned to its departure airport on Saturday after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft midair, a spokesperson for the airline said. Reuters

January 17

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to travel on a Boeing 737 from Switzerland on January 17 but was forced to board a different plane after an issue relating to a possible oxygen leak.

Matt Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department said that the Boeing 737 experience a mechanical issue, and a second Boeing airplane was sent to take Blinken back to the U.S. Newsweek

January 19

Videos posted on social media on January 19 captured flames coming out of a Boeing 747-8 in Miami, Florida.

"Atlas Air Flight 95 returned safely to Miami International Airport around 10:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 18, after the crew reported an engine failure," a spokesperson for the FAA told Newsweek last week. "The Boeing 747 was headed to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico. The FAA will investigate." Newsweek

January 20

A Boeing 757 operated by Delta Airlines lost a wheel during an attempted takeoff. A spokesperson for Delta confirmed the incident to Newsweek and said: "Delta Flight 982 ATL/BOG was taxiing for departure when a nose wheel tire came loose from the gear....All customers and their bags were removed from the aircraft, transferred to the gate, and onto a replacement aircraft. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience." Newsweek

January 23

In a statement provided to Newsweek, Boeing announced that it was planning to hold a "Quality Stand Down" on January 25 in Renton, Washington.

"During the session, production, delivery and support teams will pause for a day so employees can take part in working sessions focused on quality," the announcement said.

The statement also included portions of an internal message sent to employees that said: "The first of the stand downs will be held Thursday for the 737 program. Production, delivery and support efforts will pause for a day so teammates can take part in working sessions focused on quality."

In a statement on January 6, Boeing said it would support the FAA's decision to inspect their 737 aircraft.

"Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers," the statement said. "In addition, a Boeing technical team is supporting the NTSB's investigation into the Jan. 5 accident. We will remain in close contact with our regulator and customers." Newsweek

February 6

A United 737 Max 8 experienced ‘stuck’ rudder pedals

United flight 1536 from the Bahamas to New Jersey reported stuck rudder pedals during the landing procedure. No one was injured, but the National Transportation Safety Board launched a probe into the incident. Reuters

March 7

Tire falls of a United Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from San Francisco

A Boeing 777-200 en route from San Francisco to Japan was rerouted to Los Angeles after a tire from the plane’s landing gear struts fell off immediately after takeoff. The plane landed safely in LA and again, no one was injured – but the incident only increased public paranoia. The car of one unlucky driver was significantly damaged when the tire crashed upon it, severely denting the left side of the vehicle. Fortunately, no one was in the car at the time.

March 9

A Boeing whistleblower is found dead

John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who became a whistleblower, is found dead in Charleston, S.C., where he once worked at Boeing's large 787 plant.

Police are investigating after finding Barnett dead in a vehicle. The coroner's office says he died "from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Barnett was locked in a yearslong legal battle with Boeing. In a whistleblower complaint filed in early 2017, he accused his former employer of retaliating against him for raising safety concerns in the company's commercial airplanes.

"He was looking forward to having his day in court and hoped that it would force Boeing to change its culture," his family says in a statement. KNPR

March 11

50 passengers injured after Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner dropped suddenly in mid-air

A LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand, experienced a technical error that caused the plane to experience “strong movement” while en route to Auckland. 50 passengers were injured, though the flight landed safely in Auckland.

March 11

Boeing fails 33 of 89 audits during FAA inspection

The New York Times got ahold of a presentation that reveals dozens of issues throughout the manufacturing process, both at Boeing and at Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier. The airline failed 33 of its 89 audits, with issues including inspectors finding Spirit staff using Dawn soap being as a lubricant on a door seal and a hotel room key card to check another door seal.

March 13

A United Airlines flight has a fuel leak en route from Sydney to San Francisco and is forced to turn back

A Boeing 777-300 operated by United Airlines was forced to return to Sydney on March 13 after reporting a fuel leak shortly after takeoff. The incident marked the fifth issue in a single week for United Airlines, but scrutiny quickly fell to Boeing as well, given its rough track record of late.

March 15

Boeing plane arrives in Oregon with missing external panel

A Boeing 737-800 en route from San Francisco to Medford, Oregon, arrived Friday without an external panel that had apparently been lost in flight. The debacle shut down Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport temprarily while staff searched for the panel, but it was not recovered onsite. United noted that the missing panel was on the underside of the plane where the wing meets the body.

March 25

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun steps down

March 29

United Airlines flight 990 - a Boeing 777-200 - from San Francisco to Paris had to touch down early in Denver after engine problems.

April 10

Another whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, came forward to Boeing of taking shortcuts when building its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets and added that the company had retaliated against him when he raised concerns.

He doubled down on the claims a week later, adding on NBC that 787s should be grounded fearing 'fatal flaws' which could case them to fall apart mid-air.

In a 1,500 word statement, Boeing said it was 'fully confident' in the 787 and called concerns about structural integrity 'inaccurate.'

April 26

Delta flight 520 was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport when an emergency slide fell off the Boeing 767 an hour into its journey to Los Angeles.

April 30

A second whistleblower, Joshua Dean, died suddenly aged 45 having raised the alarm about supposed defects in 737 Max jets.

The former Spirit employee previously said he was fired from his quality auditing role for questioning standards at the supplier's plant in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2022.

His family said on social media that Dean died in hospital after a sudden illness.

Earlier in 2024, Dean spoke with NPR about being fired. 'I think they were sending out a message to anybody else. If you are too loud, we will silence you,' he said. Newsweek

May 22

'I thought it was the end': Passengers on Qatar Airways rocked by turbulence approaching Dublin say flight attendants were injured and sent into air. MSN

A 73-year-old British man was killed on a Boeing 777-300ER after extreme turbulence caused pandemonium in the cabin forcing pilots to make an emergency landing.

The aircraft journeying from London to Singapore with 221 passengers as well as 18 crew members descended 6,000 metres in five minutes.

The brutal turbulence caused pure chaos in the cabin with some blacking out after being thrown around.

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, who was travelling to his son's wedding abroad, suffered a fatal heart attack during the ordeal, whilst seven others are fighting for their lives.

Upwards of 80 people were injured during the extreme turbulence which left the cabin showered in debris and terrified passengers desperately trying to stop blood flowing from severe cuts and blunt force injuries

May 26

Eight people were taken to hospital - and 12 were injured in total - after a Qatar Airways flight experienced extreme turbulence on its approach to Dublin airport.

Terrified passengers detailed how flight attendants were tossed into the air hitting the ceiling of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

'There was panic, the look of panic everywhere,' passenger Emma Rose Power said.

'Some of the flight attendants had scratches to their face, ice to their face... one girl had a sling on her arm.'

Another traveller named Eileen described her horrifying experience, as her partner Tony was forced to hold her down to prevent her from being launched out of her chair.

Eileen has been sleeping without her seat belt on.

A teary-eyed Eileen shared: ''It was so scary... I am not in a hurry to get back on a plane I can tell you.' NYPost

June 19

Two astronauts wait to come home as Boeing races to understand spacecraft issues. Here’s what’s at stake - CNN

July 9

United Airlines flight lands safely in Denver after wheel falls off during takeoff - UPI

July 11

NASA astronauts say they are confident in Boeing Starliner abilities despite spacecraft's issues - UPI

July 11

Video shows plane tire exploding on takeoff at Tampa International Airport

Klapper said the plane, a Boeing 737-800, experienced a mechanical issue related to the tire before takeoff. Passengers were accommodated on a replacement flight to Phoenix. - Tampa Bay Times | See video on ABC News YouTube channel.

July 12

Boeing Whistleblower: Mechanics Fear Flying on the Planes They Built

Employees involved in constructing aircraft fuselages for Boeing's largest supplier have expressed fears about flying on the very planes they helped build, according to a former quality inspector at the firm.

Santiago Paredes, who worked at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, revealed in an exclusive interview with Newsweek that he consistently reported quality-control issues despite significant pushback from his superiors, who he said wanted to keep the problems hidden.

"The managers didn't want defects logged because it spotlighted the issues they were trying to cover up," Paredes said. - Newsweek

July 13

EVA Air jet bound for Taiwan from LAX suffers engine abnormality

Three hours into flight, Boeing 777-300ER aircraft forced to return to Los Angeles

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An EVA Air flight on route from Los Angeles to Taipei suffered from abnormal engine behavior mid-flight on Saturday (July 13) and was forced to return to LAX International Airport.  - Taiwan News

July 14

FAA investigates Tampa-bound Southwest flight that plunged to 150 feet above water

A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Tampa International Airport descended rapidly on July 14, plunging more than 1,500 feet in just over a minute and coming within 150 feet of the surface of Tampa Bay.

The plane — a Boeing 737 MAX — plunged through stormy weather, with light rain and gusts of up to 20 mph, according to a weather station at Tampa International Airport. The conditions were so poor that the flight, which had taken off from Columbus, Ohio, was rerouted to Fort Lauderdale. - Tampa Bay Times

August 3

It's Sounding Like Boeing's Starliner May Have Completely Failed - Futurism.com

September 7

Two astronauts are left behind in space as Boeing’s troubled capsule returns to Earth empty - AP

September 17

Delta flight makes emergency landing after pressure issue makes passengers' noses, ears bleed

The Boeing 737-900 was carrying 140 passengers when it returned to Salt Lake City and landed at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday. "Our ears just started hurting really, really bad. Everybody around us was grabbing their ears. People's ears started bleeding. People's noses started bleeding," Jaci Purser told CNN. "I heard some air come out and then it started bubbling. It sounded like my ear was bubbling, my right ear. I touched my ear and there was blood coming out," Purser added. - UPI

September 19

United Airlines flight UA2428, a Boeing 757-224, responded to a TCAS RA and two passenges were injured. Source | Source

NOTE: TCAS RA = Traffic collision avoidance system

This event doesn't seem to have been reported by any major media outlets.

September 23

Aerolíneas Argentinas flight AR1881, a Boeing 737-800, was taxiing to the apron after landing when one of the wheels of the left-hand main gear detached. Source

September 27

NTSB issues 'urgent' safety warning for Boeing 737-MAX rudder systems. UPI

October 12

Boeing to lay off 17,000 workers, delay 777X rollout amid machinists strike. UPI

Boeing stopped flight tests of the still-uncertified jet in August after finding structural damage in one of the test models.