In the wake of a recent incident involving a Boeing 737 Max 9, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is urging airlines to inspect the door plugs on certain older Boeing 737 models that share similar designs, as per a Associated Press report. The FAA’s recommendation comes after a Max 9 experienced a blowout of a door plug during a flight earlier this month.
The specific focus is on the door plugs of the Boeing 737-900ER, an older version identical in design to the Max 9. The safety alert issued by the FAA advises airlines to conduct visual inspections at four key points where bolts, nuts, and pins secure the door plugs to the aircraft.
Door plugs are panels designed to seal holes left for additional doors in cases where the number of seats does not trigger a requirement for more emergency-evacuation exits. These panels, resembling regular windows from inside the plane, play a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of the aircraft.
Boeing 737 MAX 9 Plane’s mid-Air blowout
The FAA emphasises that, despite similarities in design, the 737-900ERs have logged an impressive 3.9 million flights without any reported issues involving the door plugs. In contrast, the Max 9 involved in the recent incident had only completed 145 flights.
The incident occurred on January 5 when one of the two door plugs on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 dislodged mid-flight, resulting in a violent decompression at 16,000 feet over Oregon. The plane successfully made an emergency landing with no serious injuries reported.
FAA grounds all Max 9s with door plugs
Notably, the FAA has grounded all Max 9s with door plugs instead of regular doors in the rear of the cabin. Currently, Alaska and United Airlines are the only US carriers operating the Max 9.
The FAA’s actions go beyond grounding 171 Max 9 jets; it is also conducting investigations into the quality-control measures at Boeing and its suppliers, and has increased oversight of the aircraft manufacturer. Simultaneously, the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the incident over Oregon.
“We fully support the FAA and our customers in this action,” a Boeing spokeswoman said in a statement Monday.
The Boeing 737-900ERs, delivered between 2007 and 2019, have been widely used by U.S. airlines, with approximately 380 of them equipped with door plugs instead of traditional exits. The FAA’s precautionary measures aim to ensure the continued safety and reliability of these aircraft.