Houston, Texas – A United Airlines plane experienced a runway excursion at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, adding to a series of safety incidents plaguing the airline involving Boeing aircraft. This incident involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with 160 passengers and six crew members onboard.
The plane reportedly veered off the runway and onto the grass during its attempt to exit the runway for the gate, according to airport officials. Fortunately, all passengers were safely deplaned using air stairs and transported to the terminal via buses.
In a separate event, a United Airlines plane departing from San Francisco International Airport lost a tire shortly after takeoff, causing it to fall into a staff parking lot, damaging a car and breaking through a fence. Despite this frightening mishap, the aircraft, a Japan-bound Boeing 777, managed to land safely in Los Angeles.
Following these incidents, concerns over Boeing aircraft safety have resurfaced, with the National Transportation Safety Board investigating a previous incident involving a Boeing 737 Max 8 where pilots reported “stuck” rudder pedals during landing. This adds to the public relations challenges faced by Boeing after previous safety issues and fatal crashes involving the same aircraft model.
Aviation experts like Alan Price and John Cox have weighed in on the recent incidents, attributing the loose tire incident to maintenance issues rather than faults with the aircraft manufacturer. However, these ongoing safety concerns continue to impact Boeing’s reputation in the aviation industry.
With a history of safety incidents and the shadow of past tragedies looming over the company, Boeing faces a critical period of scrutiny as it works to address these issues and ensure the safety of passengers and crew onboard its aircraft.