Investigations reveal safety issues related to Boeing 737 Max 9 jets
Indonesia temporarily grounded since Saturday three Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners belonging to Lion Air following safety concerns
American investigators say a door panel slid up before flying off an Alaska Airlines jetliner and they are probing if four bolts that were to help hold it in place might have been missing when the plane took off.
The comments came from the National Transportation Safety Board after Alaska and United Airlines said separately that they found similar loose parts in the panels of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets too.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug … bolts that needed additional tightening,” the Chicago-based United said. Alaska quoted its technicians as indicating “some loose hardware on … some aircraft”.
The shocking findings of the federal investigators and the airlines are forcing Boeing to address concerns which have grown since the terrifying fuselage blowout on Friday night.
Boeing acts
A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off the plane as it flew 16,000 feet (4,800 meters) above Oregon. Fortunately, no one was killed. But the incident has triggered global alarm. Boeing has called an online meeting for all employees to discuss safety.
The door plugs are inserted where emergency exit doors would be located on Max 9s with more than about 200 seats. Alaska and United have fewer seats in their Max 9s, so they replace heavy doors with the plugs.
Friday disaster
The panels can be opened for maintenance work. The bolts prevent the mechanism from moving upward on rollers when the plane is in flight.
During the Alaska flight on Friday night, roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke, allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 “stop pads” that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, officials said.
Temporarily grounded
Meanwhile, Indonesia temporarily grounded since Saturday three Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners.
The three aircraft belong to the Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air. The decision by the country's transportation ministry followed safety concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration in the US has grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines for inspection.
In 2019, Indonesia temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 jets to inspect their airworthiness after a Lion Air plane of that model crashed in October 2018, killing all 189 people on board.
(With agency inputs)
