How did a trapped passenger in a Boeing 737 lead to a multi-million dollar fix?
A passenger's bathroom break turned into a $3.4 million problem for Boeing, as the FAA proposes an airworthiness directive for thousands of 737 aircraft after a flight was diverted due to a trapped passenger.
Boeing is facing a hefty potential cost of up to $3.4 million following a recent passenger bathroom mishap that resulted in a flight diversion.
This incident has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a proposed airworthiness directive, which could affect thousands of Boeing 737 aircraft.
How a bathroom mishap became a $3.4 million problem for Boeing
Everything started when a passenger was trapped in the bathroom during a flight in a Boeing 737 plane. The bathroom's latch door was broken, and the passenger was not able to exit.
Flight attendants tried to help the passenger, but none of them was able to open the bifold door, which forced them to make an unscheduled landing.
Estimated $3.4 million repair bill
The FAA is involved given the many safety concerns this event raised. Even if it doesn't look like something too serious, a passenger trapped in the bathroom is very risky if the aircraft experiences severe turbulence or medical events.
The FAA proposed a directive for 2,612 Boeing 737 aircrafts in the U.S. for the 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 9 to replace the faulty latches that could turn into a safety risk.
Stakeholders have until May 27 to respond to the directive as it applies to a range of Boeing 737 models, including the 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, and 737 Max variants.