FAA orders door plug checks for another Boeing 737 aircraft
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has advised operators of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft to visually inspect mid-exit door plugs, ensuring they are properly secured. The recommendation comes after the FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on January 6, due to a mid-air cabin blowout of a door plug on a new Alaska Airlines jet.
Boeing 737-900ER not part of MAX fleet
Although the Boeing 737-900ER is not part of the newer MAX fleet, it shares the same door plug design. The FAA's recommendation aims to prevent potential issues with this model, which has logged over 11 million hours of operation and 3.9 million flight cycles. So far, the FAA reports that the door plug has not been a problem for the Boeing 737-900ER.
All about Boeing 737 MAX 9 incident
On January 5, an exit door plug of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft detached in mid-air, causing depressurization. The flight had to make an emergency landing. Luckily, the 177 passengers and crew did not sustain injuries. On January 9, Boeing CEO David Calhoun admitted the company's mistake in the incident. The FAA is working with Boeing to finalize detailed inspection guidelines for these planes. Until then, the entire fleet will remain grounded.
