US regulator investigating Boeing 737 Max 9 after mid-air blowout
- US carriers have found loose parts on multiple grounded aircraft after checks prompted by an incident involving a cabin panel on an Alaska Airlines flight
- The US Federal Aviation Administration says the blowout ‘should have never happened and it cannot happen again’
The US Federal Aviation Administration is launching a formal investigation into the Boeing 737 Max 9 after a cabin panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight while in mid-air last week, forcing an emergency landing, the regulator said.
The FAA grounded 171 Boeing aircraft installed with the same panel after the landing, most of which are operated by US carriers Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, pending safety inspections.
It is still unclear when the planes will be cleared to fly again, and the incident is the latest in a series of events that have shaken the industry’s confidence in the aircraft manufacturer.
The FAA said the Alaska Airlines Max 9 incident “should have never happened and it cannot happen again”.
It told Boeing of the investigation in a letter on Wednesday “to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations” and after learning of “additional discrepancies”.
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Boeing Max plane grounded globally after mid-air blowout leaving hole the size of a door
Boeing said Thursday that it would “cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and the NTSB on their investigations”.