Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said on Wednesday that the company is still gathering facts following last Fridays near-disaster when a panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight.What does Boeing CEO say about Alaska Airlines incidentIn his first media interview since the incident, Calhoun described the problem as a quality escape resulting from a breakdown in Boeings inspection processes.Were going to want to know what broke down in our gauntlet of inspections, what broke down in the original work that allowed for that escape to happen, he told CNBC.What happened in Alaska Airlines on Friday nightOn Friday evening, Alaska Airlines executed an emergency landing without fatalities or major injuries after a door plug panel detached, causing rapid depressurization. Video showed a gaping hole in the aircrafts side and dangling oxygen masks in the cabin.Calhoun called the event a horrible escape and said a comprehensive probe is needed, vowing complete transparency. It certainly can never happen again, he added.How many Boeing planes have been groundedUS regulators have grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets with the same configuration as the Alaska plane.Since Friday, both United Airlines and Alaska reported finding loose hardware on some of their 737 MAX 9s during initial inspections. The investigations into quality control issues remain ongoing.
