Boeing plane ‘leaks hydraulic fluid’ mid-air, distress code issued to ATC

A Boeing 757-200 operated by Jet2, traveling from Málaga, Spain, to Manchester, England, faced an in-flight emergency on Friday, according to Newsweek .

Flight LS810, which took off from Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, was nearing its destination, Manchester when hydraulic fluid leaks forced the pilots to declare a “squawking 7700” emergency.

This distress code indicated the need for immediate assistance.

According to AviationSource News , the plane reported “a loss of steering” and began to circle southeast of Manchester in a holding pattern, allowing pilots to delay descent while awaiting ground clearance.

The 27.7-year-old aircraft landed safely and was met by firetrucks and other emergency vehicles. While confirming the technical issue, Manchester Airport noted that it did not impact other flights. Jet2 has yet to comment on the incident.

A string of incidents and a plea

This latest incident adds to a series of safety concerns involving Boeing aircraft. Earlier this month, a United Airlines Boeing 757-200 lost a landing gear wheel during takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport. The wheel bounced across the runway, hitting a car in an employee parking lot. Despite the incident, the plane landed safely in Denver.

Boeing is finding itself in the midst of safety and production practice criticisms. On Sunday, the aviation giant agreed to a plea deal with the US federal government, pleading guilty to fraud related to the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes that resulted in 346 fatalities. Additionally, the agreement includes a $698.6 million payment.

An investigation by The Department of Justice revealed Boeing’s failure to maintain internal quality controls, breaching a deferred prosecution agreement from 2021. The investigation , prompted by a near-fatal door blowout on a 737 MAX 9 in January, highlighted ongoing safety issues within Boeing’s production processes.

To add to Boeing’s misery, whistleblowers accused the company management of prioritizing profit over safety, a sentiment echoed in Congressional hearings and various testimonies.

Revelations of safety violations

Numerous whistleblowers exposed severe safety issues at Boeing, particularly in the production of the 787 “Dreamliner” and the 737 production line.

John “Mitch” Barnett, a former quality manager, and Joshua Dean, a former Spirit AeroSystems employee, revealed that senior management was aware of and encouraged production shortcuts compromising safety.

Both whistleblowers faced retaliation and died under mysterious circumstances. In March, earlier this year, Mitch was found dead in the parking lot of a hotel in Charleston. Dean, noted for leading a healthy lifestyle, suddenly developed trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital. There, he contracted a serious bacterial infection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

In addition to the Jet2 hydraulic failure, recent Boeing incidents include a 737-700 hydraulic failure forcing a diversion to Nakashibetsu Airport in Japan, Newsweek reported.

Furthermore, a Boeing 777 scraped its tail during takeoff in Milan.

These incidents have not gone without gaining public attention. A recent poll revealed that over 50% of US flyers would pay extra to avoid Boeing aircraft, indicating the loss of trust in Boeing.