'Take your time': Stephen Colbert trolls Boeing as FAA grounds 200 planes after door flies off mid-air
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Last Friday, January 5, an Alaska Airlines plane made headlines when it had to execute an emergency landing due to a door panel popping off at 16,000 feet.
According to Reuters, during its ascent after departing from Portland, Oregon en route to Ontario, California on Friday, a section of the aircraft's fuselage detached from the left side.
This compelled the pilots to initiate a turnaround, successfully landing the plane with all 171 passengers and six crew members unharmed.
Colbert takes aim at Alaska Airlines fiasco
In response to the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary findings, suggesting that the door panel might not have been properly attached.
Stephen Colbert seized the opportunity to humorously address the situation on his show. He quipped, "You think it reminds me of the NTSB's groundbreaking report on the Hindenburg. Kaboom."
The comedian continued, delivering the good news, "The bolts that should have held the door in place may not have come loose as was previously feared."
However, Colbert swiftly followed this with a punchline, "The bad news is it's possible the bolts were never even installed." He humorously speculated that the mishap might be attributed to simply following instructions: "Put door on plane. Wonder why you have leftover bolts. Enjoy unlimited legroom."
Colbert's take on FAA response
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken decisive action, grounding all 200 Boeing Max 9 planes in the United States.
The reason cited was the need for thorough inspections, estimating it could take four to eight hours to examine each plane.
Colbert, in his comedic style, addressed this development with a sarcastic remark, saying, "Take your time. Okay, do not rush. Be thorough. We'll be at the Chili's Too, pounding spice-a-ritas."
Colbert's witty take on the situation didn't spare Boeing from his jests. He humorously connected the recent mishap to the company's financial performance, stating, "Obviously, this is bad news for Boeing. So far this week, their stock is down 10%. Well, maybe their stock wouldn't have fallen if they'd remembered to put the bolts on."
