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United Airlines says loose bolts found on door plugs of several Boeing 737 Max 9s during inspection
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug," the Airlines said
United Airlines has said that loose bolts were found on door plugs of several Boeing 737 Max 9 planes during inspections after a panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight recently. Dozens of 737 Max 9s were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday, January 6, after the horrific incident on Alaska Flight 1282. This prompted various inspections.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug — for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,” United Airlines said in a statement, according to CNBC. “These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.”
Boeing had earlier asked airlines to carry out inspections of the Max 9s in their fleets. “We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards,” Boeing said in a statement. “We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.”
No one was seriously injured in the recent accident. However, the panel that blew out produced such a terrific force that a few headrests and seat backs were ripped from the cabin. The cockpit door was also violently flung open, initial details of a federal safety investigation suggested. Thankfully, no passenger sat in the two seats located next to the panel that would later blow out.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the impact of the incident could have been much worse at cruising altitude when crews and passengers generally walk around the cabin.
The missing part that blew off was later found in a Portland backyard, the National Transportation Safety Board announced. Bob, a Portland school teacher, contacted the agency after he found the part in his yard, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy previously said at a news conference, according to CNN.
