Warning light prompts Boeing 737 to make emergency landing in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho — An Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8 landed safely in Idaho after experiencing an in-flight emergency Tuesday when pilots received a warning light in the flight deck, airline and airport officials said.

The issue was determined to be a faulty cargo hold indicator, Air Canada said in an email, without elaborating.

Boeing has been under intense scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers since January, when part of the fuselage on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet blew out midflight, exposing a gaping hole and forcing pilots to make an emergency landing. It’s the deepest crisis for the iconic aircraft manufacturer since a pair of deadly crashes involving Max jets in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.

On Tuesday, Air Canada said Flight 997 from Mexico City to Vancouver, Canada, diverted to Boise Airport as a precautionary measure after the warning light came on.

The aircraft landed normally at 10:59 a.m. and was met by first responders, airline officials said. The plane will stay in Boise at least overnight, according to airline officials. According to Transport Canada, the plane has been registered to Air Canada since Jan. 29, 2019. Its year of manufacture was also listed as 2019.

The 122 passengers and six crew members were waiting in Boise on Tuesday for a different jet to take them to Vancouver, airline officials said. No injuries were reported, Boise Airport officials said in a post on Facebook.

Boeing officials didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Airline executives have expressed their frustration with Boeing, and even minor incidents involving jets the company produced are attracting extra attention.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 safely returned to Denver on Sunday after the engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.