Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 grounded after Dutch Roll

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident that occurred during the flight of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

On May 25, Southwest Flight WN746, en route to Oakland, California, experienced a phenomenon known as “Dutch Roll” and was taken out of service and flown to Paine Field in Everett, Washington, where the incident is being investigated.

No one on board was killed or injured, but the FAA found “significant” damage to the aircraft during its initial investigation.

This is the latest incident involving a Boeing aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 had to remain on the ground for around three weeks in January after a defective door lock ripped a hole in an Alaska Airlines MAX 9.

Here you can find out everything you need to know about the incident and the investigation, including what a “Dutch Roll” is.

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What happened on the Southwest flight Phoenix-Oakland?

On May 25, Southwest flight WN746 en route from Phoenix to Oakland experienced a phenomenon known as “Dutch roll,” in which the aircraft rocks from side to side while its tail yaws, or “wags,” making it difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft.

The pilot regained control of the aircraft and no one on board was injured. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 landed safely in Oakland. A post-flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft’s standby power unit.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 involved in the incident, which was certified on Dec. 19, 2022, according to FAA records, was grounded after the flight. FlightAware data for the aircraft showed it last flew on June 6, en route from Oakland to Boeing’s Paine Field assembly plant in Everett, Washington.

What is a Dutch Roll?

A Dutch roll is a combination of side-to-side rocking and tail wagging, or yaw. Yaw is defined as rotation around the vertical axis of the aircraft.

This happens when an aircraft’s lateral stability, or its ability to resist rolling, is greater than its directional stability, or its ability to stay straight, says Dinuwan Galwatta, an aeronautical engineer who shares his expertise on his TikTok channel, “The Aero Technician.”

He said there are three methods to deal with the effects of a Dutch roll:

Aeronautical engineers design aircraft to achieve a balance between lateral and directional stability. Wing design, vertical stabilizer size, and even control systems all play a role.
In some situations, pilots can dampen the Dutch roll motion through rudder inputs by anticipating the roll motion and counteracting it with small rudder corrections.
Modern aircraft often have yaw dampers. These are automatic control systems that actively suppress the so-called “Dutch roll” through small rudder movements.

What does Southwest Airlines say about the MAX 8 incident?

Southwest Airlines told The Arizona Republic that it was in contact with the FAA and Boeing regarding the incident, but declined further comment.

Further incidents involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8

The “Dutch Roll” that occurred on the Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix is the latest incident involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Here are others:

October 2018: A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board. The investigation, completed in 2021, attributed the crash to a faulty angle of attack sensor on the aircraft that provided pilots with inaccurate data.
March 2019: An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 crashed about six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. Ethiopian investigators released their final report on the crash in 2023 and blamed electrical problems that led to the activation of the plane’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System.
April 2021: Months after the 737 MAX 8 was recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing reported a possible electrical problem and airlines temporarily took the plane out of service. A month later, the FAA approved a fix for the problem.
February 2024: On a United Airlines flight from Nassau (Bahamas) to Newark (New Jersey), the rudder pedals became “stuck” during the approach to landing. None of the 161 people on board were injured. Months before the incident, Boeing had advised airlines to check their 737 MAX aircraft for a possible loose screw in the rudder control system. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
March 2024: Another United Boeing 737 MAX 8 skidded off the runway into the grass while landing at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. None of the 166 people on board were injured. The NTSB is investigating the incident.

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