Federal officials are investigating an incident involving a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 that experienced an unusual rolling motion possibly caused by a damaged backup power-control unit. The plane went into a “Dutch roll” at 32,000 feet, a motion resembling a Dutch ice skater’s movement, which pilots are trained to recover from. The incident resulted in damage to the unit providing backup power to the rudder, leading to concerns about uncommanded flight control movements.
Despite the significant damage, the aircraft landed safely in Oakland with no injuries reported among the passengers and crew. The incident, first reported by The Aviation Herald, led to a temporary repair in Oakland before the plane was ferried to Boeing’s plant in Everett, Wash., for further repairs. This incident adds to the scrutiny surrounding the 737 Max aircraft, following a previous incident involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 that led to a temporary grounding of that particular version.
CBS News Aviation Safety analyst Robert Sumwalt emphasized the seriousness of the incident, stating that any uncommanded flight control movement is significant, especially when resulting in substantial damage. While other airlines have not reported similar issues with the 737 Max, Southwest confirmed they haven’t encountered a similar problem with other jets in their fleet. The investigation is ongoing, with Boeing and the FAA collaborating to determine the cause of the unusual rolling motion.
