Boeing is in big trouble

You’d think Boeing’s already miserable 2024 couldn’t get any worse. Then a 787 plunged suddenly mid-flight Monday, injuring dozens of passengers, after a pilot said he lost control of the aircraft before recovering and landing the plane safely.

You’d think Boeing’s already miserable 2024 couldn’t get any worse. But on Monday, a 787 Dreamliner plunged suddenly mid-flight, injuring dozens of passengers, after a pilot said he temporarily lost control of the aircraft. The pilot was able to recover and land the plane safely, but it’s not yet clear what caused the LATAM flight from Australia to New Zealand to fall so dramatically. LATAM called it a “technical event.” Boeing said it’s working to gather more information. But it’s not news Boeing’s management (or the flying public) needed right now. The company’s nonstop streak of bad news began the first weekend of the year, when part of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max blew off the side of the plane just after takeoff. A preliminary federal investigation revealed that Boeing probably did not put the bolts in the so-called door plug that are designed to prevent the part from blowing off the plane. That incident resulted in a temporary nationwide grounding of certain 737 Max jets, followed by congressional hearings, production and delivery delays, multiple federal investigations — including a criminal probe — and a stock that has lost a quarter of its value this year, shaving more than $40 billion off the company’s market valuation. Between lawsuits, potential fines and lost business, Boeing could lose billions more dollars from the blowout. But the bad news didn’t stop there. In February, pilots on a United Airlines 737 Max reported that the flight controls jammed as the plane landed in Newark. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration flagged safety issues with the de-icing equipment on 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner models that could cause engines to lose thrust. The FAA is allowing the planes to continue flying and Boeing said the problem does not pose an immediate safety risk.