New issues reported with Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after panel blows of Alaska Airlines flight
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United Airlines has found multiple loose bolts on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all models of the aircraft following an emergency on an Alaska Airlines flight that involved part of a panel being ripped from a plane.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug,” the company said in a statement. “For example, bolts that needed additional tightening.
“These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.”
The door plug is a specific panel of the fuselage near the rear of the aircraft. The airline said it cancelled 200 flights using the model on Monday and expected additional cancellations on Tuesday. However, the company said it was able to avoid 30 cancellations each day by switching to other aircraft types.
This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)
(National Transportation Safety Board,)
The airline operates 79 Max 9 planes.
On Friday, the door plug fell off the Alaska Airlines flight as it attempted to make its way from Oregon to California. The flight safely returned to Portland, where it had originated.
Some of the passengers were injured but have been medically cleared by professionals, Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
The door plug was ultimately recovered from a teacher’s backyard nearby.
Over the weekend, the FAA announced it would be grounding all models of the Boeing plane to undergo inspection, which should take approximately four to eight hours per plane. The planes would only be returned to service after they’d been cleared by officials.
The Boeing 737 is the most successful aircraft with about 10,000 delivered.
