United Boeing 737 Max veers OFF the runway into the grass ‘after gear collapse’ at Houston airport: FAA launches new probe after litany of safety issues

A Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by United Airlines veered off the runway after landing in Houston early Friday in the latest near miss involving the embattled plane.

The plane, which arrived from Memphis, is believed to have somehow crashed as it left the runway at George Bush Airport, although the 160 passengers and six crew members were not injured.

Shocking footage showed the plane lying flat on its wings on the grass along the side of the runway as passengers were quickly evacuated from an emergency staircase.

It is the latest in a series of disastrous failures involving Boeing planes in recent days, including a 737 engine that caught fire in flight on Monday and a wheel that fell off shortly after takeoff in San Francisco on Thursday.

The plane also suffered a near-catastrophe in January when a door on a 737 MAX 9 plane blew out at 16,000 feet above Portland, Oregon, forcing an emergency landing.

Shocking footage showed the plane lying flat on its wings at the side of a runway after apparently crashing

Passengers were seen being evacuated from the aircraft via an emergency gate ladder

The FAA says it is launching a full investigation into the latest disaster, which at the time of writing is still ongoing, as United says it will move the plane as soon as it is able to do so.

Despite the rocky end to the flight, one passenger claimed the landing went smoothly, but he felt some bumps as the plane started to taxi.

“It felt like having a flat tire in a car,” the passenger said Click2Houston.

In a statement, Houston Airports said, “Today around 8 a.m., a United Airlines flight landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Upon departing the runway, the aircraft left the sidewalk and entered the grass along runway 9-27.”

‘Luckily no one on board was injured. The Houston Fire Department and Houston Airports Operations responded immediately and safely evacuated all passengers.

“Per federal regulations, the FAA has been notified. United Airlines is working to remove the aircraft, which will not impact flight operations. The flights to and from lAH will continue uninterrupted.’

Boeing has seen billions cut from its market capitalization due to the repeated problems, as the FAA and NTSB launch investigations into its fleet of 737s.

Last month, the FAA formally ordered inspections of Boeing 737 Max planes for loose bolts in the rudder control systems, after the planemaker recommended them in December.

In January, an Alaska Airlines flight suffered a near-catastrophe when an airplane door blew out at 16,000 feet above Portland

There were no serious injuries from the terrifying air disturbance, but passengers’ belongings, including phones, flew from the plane

On Monday, a United Airlines flight left San Francisco airport en route to Osaka, Japan and had barely left the runway when a wheel flew off

On Thursday, investigators determined that a 737 MAX 8 flight last month experienced “stuck” rudder pedals during a landing rollout, although that problem did not result in injuries.

While that incident flew somewhat under the radar, Boeing suffered serious setbacks in January after the door plug blew out at 16,000 feet.

Investigators focused on bolts that were meant to hold the panel in place but apparently failed as the door flew terrifyingly over Portland, causing passengers to scream inside.

As authorities continue to investigate the fleet, the NTSB chairman said last month that another midair eruption like the one on the Alaksa Airlines plane “could happen again.”

“There is no way this aircraft could have been delivered with four safety-critical bolts missing,” NTSB Chief Jennifer Homendy told CNN in February.

“Of course something like this could happen again.”