(PatriotSpotlight.org) – The FAA has advised airlines flying Boeing 737-900ER planes to check the door plugs for proper fastening after pilots reported unidentified problems with bolts during inspections.
Following the event on January 5—a door plug blew out of the fuselage on a passenger flight at 16,000 feet—the FAA ordered the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
Boeing has been under increased scrutiny from regulators following a mid-air panel burst on an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 airplane (ALK.N) on January 5th, resulting in a large hole left in the plane.
Some airlines have noticed some anomalies with bolts during inspections after conducting further checks on the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs, according to the FAA’s new “Safety Alert for Operators.”
While several planes are out of commission, Boeing has appointed an outside consultant to look at quality control in production as part of its efforts to limit the damage.
This month, following first inspections, the only two US carriers that use the MAX 9—United Airlines (UAL.O) and Alaska Airlines—disclosed the discovery of loose components on many grounded MAX 9 aircraft.
In terms of frequency of operation, the 737-900ER outshines the 737 MAX 9. Even though it’s an earlier model, the same door plug design is available for carriers who want to install more seats and an extra emergency escape door.
Cirium data shows that out of 490 operational Boeing 737-900ER planes, at least 79 are run by low-cost airlines with denser cabins, so they feature an active door instead of the plug.
The FAA has issued a fuselage assembly maintenance protocol, advising carriers to tighten the four bolts that hold the door plug to the airframe ASAP.
With almost 11 million hours of service and 3.9 million flight cycles, the FAA stated that the door plug has not been an issue with this model. This contrasts with the new MAX 9, which had the door-plug problem.
The grounding has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights this month, with United continuing to postpone flights until at least Friday. Alaska did not remark the duration of the cancellation extension.
Monday morning trading saw a 0.8% decline in Boeing (BA.N) shares. They have lost over 17% of their value since the start of the year.
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