FAA finishes 40 Boeing 737 Max 9 inspections, reviewing data
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday that officials finished inspecting 40 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes and are in the process of reviewing data from them.
The update comes less than a week after the agency announced requirements "for a rigorous inspection and maintenance process" before the FAA contemplates any further steps in the process to get the planes back to service.
The aircraft were temporarily grounded earlier this month after a door plug on one of 737 Max 9 jets, operated by Alaska Airlines, detached midflight as it was headed from Portland, Oregon, to California. The gaping hole sucked out cellphones and ripped a child's shirt off his body.
In an updated statement Wednesday, the agency reiterated that all 737 Max 9 planes with door plugs will stay grounded "pending the FAA’s review and final approval of an inspection and maintenance process that satisfies all FAA safety requirements."
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"Once the FAA approves an inspection and maintenance process, it will be required on every grounded 737-9 MAX prior to future operation," the FAA said, adding that "the safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning these aircraft to service."
Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX. (NTSB / Fox News)
United Airlines and Alaska Airlines are the two major U.S. carriers that have 737 Max 9 planes in their fleet.
The FAA launched an investigation into Boeing last week to determine if the company failed to ensure that its products were safe for operation.
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The agency also announced it was investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, "including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, bolstering its oversight of Boeing, and examining potential system change."
A plastic sheet covers an area of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft outside a hangar at Portland International Airport on Jan. 8, 2024. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / Getty Images)
The National Transportation Safety Board is simultaneously investigating what caused the door plug on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 to blow off.
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Boeing – which owned up to its mistake – is also already facing lawsuits related to the incident from several passengers who claim they suffered physical injuries as well as emotional trauma when the section of the plane detached at 16,000 feet.