Summary
- Airlines have accomplished initial inspections of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
- The FAA said that it’ll review the information before allowing them to fly again, prioritizing safety over speed.
- Boeing, the FAA, and Alaska Airlines have announced increased oversight and safety measures to deal with quality control concerns in response to the incident.
The USA (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that airlines have accomplished an initial batch of inspections of their Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Nevertheless, the regulator will now study the information airlines have gathered from inspections and, after finalizing the inspection and process, unground the 737 MAX 9.
Prioritizing safety and never speed
In accordance with the FAA’s statement, airlines have already inspected 40 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, with the regulator adding that it might review the information from the inspections. Still, the aircraft will remain on the bottom until the FAA reviews the information and finalizes an inspection and maintenance process that’s satisfactory.
the FAA added.
The regulator also said that it’s supporting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its investigation of the Alaska Airlines flight AS 1282 incident when the airline’s 737 MAX 9 lost a plug door while it was climbing out of Portland International Airport (PDX). The event happened on January 5, 2024, with the aircraft returning safely to PDX. Passengers only suffered minor injuries because the aircraft’s peak flight altitude was 16,300 feet (4,968 meters). Moreover, no travelers sat on the row where the door plug blew out.
Photo: NTSB
Still, the FAA was swift in its motion, grounding the sort a day after the incident. The groundings affected all 737 MAX 9 aircraft with plug doors and never mid-cabin exit doors. Nevertheless, US airlines only operate the sort with the latter setup.
Moreover, only two carriers within the US operate the 737 MAX 9: Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Ch-aviation data showed that the pair have 144 Boeing 737 MAX 9s. Aeromexico, which usually operates flights to the country, has 19 aircraft of the sort. Alaska Airlines voluntarily grounded its 737 MAX 9s for inspections shortly after the incident.
Alaska Airlines Grounds Entire Boeing 737 MAX 9 Fleet After Blowout Incident
The precautionary measure will allow the airline to examine its fleet.
Boeing oversight
Following the incident, the FAA and Alaska Airlines said they’d introduce extra oversight of Boeing and its manufacturing practices, ensuring that the plane maker delivers 737 MAX 9s with sufficient quality control at its manufacturing facilities.
In response, Boeing has also announced that it was introducing safety measures to deal with quality control concerns. In a public statement, Stan Deal, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Boeing Industrial Airplanes, said that they were taking
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock
On January 16, the manufacturer announced that Admiral Kirkland Donald, a retired service member from the USA Navy (USN), would act as a special advisor to David Calhoun, the President and CEO of Boeing. Donald and a team of outdoor experts will conduct an assessment of the manufacturer’s quality management system, including quality programs and practices at Boeing and its oversight of its suppliers.
What Are Door Plugs & Which Aircraft Have Them?
A better have a look at the aircraft component that Alaska Airlines flight AS 1282 brought into the highlight.