Southwest Airlines 737 Max staggers – FAA classifies incident as accident

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 with the registration N8825Q entered a dangerous wobble oscillation on the flight from Arizona to Oakland. The aircraft exhibited an uncontrolled “Dutch roll” behavior in which it alternately swayed on the yaw and vertical axes, causing significant vibrations.

However, the pilots managed to stabilize the situation and land the aircraft safely in Oakland. During the post-landing inspection, technicians found “significant damage,” particularly to the standby rudder PCU (pedal control unit).

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has classified the incident as an “accident” and is conducting a detailed investigation, according to an FAA file report. N8825Q was then flown to Everett, the headquarters of the manufacturer Boeing, for repairs, where it arrived under the special flight number WN8700.

“We take every incident seriously and work closely with the FAA to investigate the causes and take appropriate action,” commented a Southwest Airlines spokesman.

The incident underscores ongoing surveillance and safety efforts in aviation, particularly in connection with the Boeing 737 Max, which has come under criticism in the past for its flight control software and other systems.