Officials investigate how plane damaged in a Dutch roll incident

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to WORLD Friday that it was working with the National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing to investigate an in-flight incident. A Boeing plane was traveling from Phoenix, Ariz., to Oakland, Calif. on May 25 when it began rocking from side to side in an oscillating yaw-and-roll motion known as a Dutch roll. The plane had a damaged backup power-control unit, according to the FAA’s preliminary report. The owner, Southwest Airlines, uncovered structural damage during maintenance after the incident, according to a NTSB statement.

Was anyone injured?The 175 passengers and six crew members on board the Southwest Airlines flight were uninjured, according to the FAA. The crew regained control of the 737 MAX 8, landing it safely in Oakland.

Why is it called a Dutch roll? The motion a plane makes in a Dutch roll is named after a similar motion Dutch ice skaters make while skating. The FAA said other airlines have not reported similar issues.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s story on the safety management report Boeing presented to the FAA.