An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft is grounded at Los Angeles International Airport in California on January 8, 2024.
Eric Thayer | Bloomberg | fake images
aircraft manufacturer boeing will review inspection instructions for its 737 Max 9 planes after a panel exploded mid-flight last week during a Alaska Airlines flight and after Alaska and united airlines identified loose hardware on planes of the same model during preliminary checks, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday.
The FAA grounded dozens of planes after the Alaska Airlines incident, and Boeing on Monday issued instructions for inspecting the planes, which were approved by the FAA.
Revisions to multi-operator messages containing instructions may be based on feedback from airlines, the company, or inspectors.
“Boeing yesterday provided an initial version of the instructions that they are now revising due to comments received in response. Upon receipt of Boeing’s revised version of the instructions, the FAA will conduct a thorough review,” the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday.
“All Boeing 737-9 Max with a plug door will remain grounded until the FAA determines they can safely return to operation,” the agency said. “The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service.”
Boeing said in a statement Tuesday that it is in close contact with customers and the FAA.
“As part of the process, we are making updates based on your feedback and requirements,” the company said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said its investigation into the Alaska Airlines crash focuses on what went wrong with the nearly new 737 Max 9’s burst door plug.
An NTSB official said at a news conference Monday night that on the flight, the 12 stops that help the door stay in place “came loose, allowing it to fly off the fuselage.” The door guides were also broken. The official said the NTSB has not recovered the bolts holding it in place and has not determined “whether they existed there.”
The NTSB will analyze the door that exploded at its Washington laboratory. The door was found by an Oregon school teacher, the agency said earlier this week.
Don’t miss these CNBC PRO stories:
