(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.
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.
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.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson:
