‘Loose bolts in a young aircraft’: what went wrong at Boeing – and can it be fixed?

Mid-air blowout on Alaska Airlines plane suggests issues at manufacturer despite steps to address processes and culture

Aviation is an abundant source of metaphors, but not always as self-generating as the terrifying Alaska Airlines incident that has once again brought Boeing low: a hole blown in the side of an ascending plane, a gap that was not properly plugged, passengers staring into the void.

The safe landing of flight 1282 on 5 January after a boy literally lost the shirt from his back as the air was sucked out at 14,000 feet, means Boeing can count itself lucky that it does not face far worse than the Federal Aviation Administration investigation and a further audit announced this week and a handful of lawsuits from distressed passengers.

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