FAA Grounds Boeing 737-9 MAX Planes, Continues Investigation After Alaska Airlines Emergency Landing

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FILE - This image taken Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, and released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows a section of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that is missing panel on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Ore. Federal officials are recommending that airlines inspect the door plugs on more Boeing 737s after one of the panel blew off a Boeing jet in midflight. The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines should also inspect the panels on an older model, the 737-900ER. Those planes have door plugs that are identical in design to the one that flew off the Alaska Airlines jetliner. Boeing said Monday, Jan. 22, 2024that it supports the FAA action. (NTSB via AP, file)
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(AURN News) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is continuing its efforts to address safety concerns arising from the recent emergency landing involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft. The incident, which took place on January 5th during Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, forced an emergency landing back in Portland after a “door-sized” hole was left after a blowout.

This image taken Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, and released by the National Transportation Safety Board, an investigator examines the frame of a panel of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Ore. Federal officials are investigating Boeing’s oversight of production of a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week. (NTSB via AP)

The focus of the FAA’s investigation now extends beyond the immediate incident, with a particular emphasis on the “door plug” issue. Alaska Airlines promptly grounded its entire fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft, and the FAA has followed suit by grounding 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX airplanes. The FAA’s scrutiny extends to examining Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, with a specific focus on subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems. 

A recent update from the FAA indicates that, in addition to the grounding, airlines are now required to visually inspect the mid-exit door plugs of Boeing 737-900ER planes. Despite not being part of the MAX fleet, these aircraft share the same door plug design, prompting the FAA to ensure thorough safety checks across the broader Boeing 737 model range.

FILE – The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 13, 2021. Federal officials are recommending that airlines inspect the door plugs on more Boeing 737s after one of the panel blew off a Boeing jet in midflight. The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines should also inspect the panels on an older model, the 737-900ER. Those planes have door plugs that are identical in design to the one that flew off the Alaska Airlines jetliner. Boeing said Monday, Jan. 22, 2024that it supports the FAA action. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the Flight 1282 incident and is working closely with the FAA. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the emergency landing. The financial repercussions of the incident are already reverberating throughout the aviation industry. Boeing’s stock has experienced a decline and additionally, United Airlines has forecasted a financial loss for the quarter, citing the necessity to ground their Boeing 737 Max 9 planes as a contributing factor.


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